Nt Should Open Practices

[Mad Hatter]

http://colleges.beloblog.com/archives/2007/08/dodge_needs_to_play_nice_at_north_texas.html#comments

August 15, 2007

Dodge needs to play nice at North Texas

Tim MacMahon/DMN

Todd Dodge is making it tough to cover North Texas.

Reporters have to peer through a gate to watch the Mean Green practice. TV crews can only shoot the first 30 minutes of workouts and can't talk to players until afterward. The first scrimmage was off-limits altogether. And Dodge has clashed with a couple reporters. (We're still cool, at least until he reads this.)

Yeah, I know. Boo-hoo. You don't care how the media does its job. But if you're a UNT fan, you should hope Dodge learns to loosen up.

North Texas, unlike Southlake Carroll, needs all the coverage it can get and isn't a top priority in this market. Media coverage can play a major role in three areas that sorely need improvement at UNT: recruiting, attendance at charmless Fouts Field and fundraising for a new stadium.

UNT is still riding a wave of positive pub after taking my advice and hiring Dodge. That slows way down with a (guaranteed) loss in the opener at OU and crashes with a (possible) loss at SMU the next week.

Brett Vito, the heady beat writer for the Denton Record-Chronicle and SportsDay, will be there every day. He won't have much company if it's a hassle to cover the Mean Green. This isn't Texas, where Mack Brown can go to great lengths to limit media access and still be swarmed by reporters and cameras every day.

I'm a proud UNT alum, and while not a George Dunham-esque homer, I'd love to seen the Mean Green morph into the next Boise State. Dodge's odds of making that happen would improve by opening his arms (and the gate) to the media.

(Memo to Texas Tech and Captain Mike Leach: A lot of these points apply to you and your program, too.)

[FirefightnRick]

Cry baby reporter!

Rick

[GreenTiger_OriginalAcct]

If Dodge wins, they will be fighting each other for that 30 minutes. Payne better enjoy it while he can - the success of North Texas football will depend very little on the Denton Retched Chronicle.

[Eagle1855]

So this dildo claims to have the power to make us a top priority in the market, increase attendance, build a new stadium, AND turn us in to the next Boise State if we let him cover our practices? My gosh, we should have gotten in touch with him 5 years ago...

[GreenTiger_OriginalAcct]

On second thought, I think Dodge should open practice to reporters. Then we can save the money NT would normally spend on tackling dummies.

[DeepGreen]

UNT is still riding a wave of positive pub after taking my advice and hiring Dodge.

Gosh, I am so glad RV, Dr. B, the B.O.R., and the rest of the NT hiarchy listened to Mr. Payne.

[Travis]

I am glad he wants to cover us. We need all the attention we can get.

But, making practice exclusive isn't uncommon. No matter where the program sits in the NCAA arena.

[mad dog]

Did this really get published in a professional newspaper?

The last time I saw this level of bizzare angst in ANY publication was a "why I'm breaking up with you" feature in a junior high student run newsletter.

Also...

But if you're a UNT fan, you should hope Dodge learns to loosen up.

North Texas, unlike Southlake Carroll, needs all the coverage it can get and isn't a top priority in this market.

Media coverage can play a major role in three areas that sorely need improvement at UNT: recruiting, attendance at charmless Fouts Field and fundraising for a new stadium.

That slows way down with a (guaranteed) loss in the opener at OU...

...and crashes with a (possible) loss at SMU the next week.

He won't have much company if it's a hassle to cover the Mean Green.

This isn't Texas, where Mack Brown can go to great lengths to limit media access and still be swarmed by reporters and cameras every day.

And yet...

I'm a proud UNT alum...

[GreenTiger_OriginalAcct]

Did this really get published in a professional newspaper?

The last time I saw this level of bizzare angst in ANY publication was a "why I'm breaking up with you" feature in a junior high student run newsletter.

hehe

[Travis]

Gosh, I am so glad RV, Dr. B, the B.O.R., and the rest of the NT hiarchy listened to Mr. Payne.

That comment kinda irked me too.

[Eagle-96]

August 15, 2007

Dodge needs to play nice at North Texas

GARY PAYNE/DRC

Todd Dodge is making it tough to cover North Texas.

Reporters have to peer through a gate to watch the Mean Green practice. TV crews can only shoot the first 30 minutes of workouts and can't talk to players until afterward. The first scrimmage was off-limits altogether. And Dodge has clashed with a couple reporters. (We're still cool, at least until he reads this.)

I would hope players can't talk to reporters until after practice. It's a novel idea that Todge is bringing in here to ask that players actually concentrate and pay attention during practice instead of being distracted by reporters.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Eagle-96

[DeepGreen]

Gosh, I am so glad RV, Dr. B, the B.O.R., and the rest of the NT hiarchy listened to Mr. Payne.

I take that comment back. Per Smitty, we should direct our attention to Tim MacMahon. Apologies to Mr. Payne the photographer.

[Smitty]

I take that comment back. Per Smitty, we should direct our attention to Tim MacMahon. Apologies to Mr. Payne the photographer.

Correct. Gary Payne is the photographer who took that photo of Dodge. His name is listed on the byline under the photo. Tim MacMahon wrote the article.

[Harry]

http://colleges.beloblog.com/archives/2007...as.html#comment

[pollock]

Posted in the other thread before I realized this one was where the "action" was at:

Don't get out the pitchforks and torches for Tim MacMahon just yet. He used to be the Mean Green beat writer for the DRC. He's a real greenblood and a great sports writer.

You can't blame him for being mad about his access to the team being so limited.

[Eagle1855]

ok, pitchforks withheld, can some explain to me why practice being closed off is a big deal? I honestly want to understand. It's Dodge's first year as a D-1A coach... his ass is the one on the line. He will be the one everyone cheers for the wins and questions/berates for the losses. For those reasons, I kinda feel like he should get to do it HIS way.

[JayDub]

Please refrain from calling TimmyMac a dildo...the guy has done more good for the program than Vito has ever dreamed of doing.

[Eagle1855]

Please refrain from calling TimmyMac a dildo...the guy has done more good for the program than Vito has ever dreamed of doing.

thanks for the suggestion. was just a joke. glad to see everyone brought their wadded panties to play today...

If you can find a single positive thing in that article amongst the cliched shots on NT we've all heard for the past 10 years and the egomaniacal rants about turning us into Boise and implications we hired Dodge based on his suggestion, please share it with the rest of us. It doesn't sound AT ALL like something written by someone who cares a great deal about the program. It sounds like someone whining because they cant get as much coverage as they want, so they resort to taking shots. Pretty unoriginal way to get a story.

If he's going to help us by writing articles like this, I'd just assume he not.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Eagle1855

[JayDub]

thanks for the suggestion. was just a joke. glad to see everyone brought their wadded panties to play today

Yes...that's it. My panties are in a wad. So sorry about that.

Reporters are going to bitch when they can't get the access they want. That's what reporters do when you make them work. BFD. They're just like half the fans on this board, come to think of it.

And frankly, though it does sound a little whiny, name something in it that EDITORIAL that isn't the truth...I swear, most of you seem to live in denial of the fact that we are light years from being a respected program in the eyes of non-NT fans.

Edited August 16, 2007 by JayDub

[meanrob]

wow, now we're going after TM. best beat writer we ever had.

having said that, coach can do it how he wants. getting press isn't a high priority right now, i imagine getting the team ready for the season is.

[Eagle1855]

And frankly, though it does sound a little whiny, name something in it that EDITORIAL that isn't the truth...I swear, most of you seem to live in denial of the fact that we are light years from being a respected program in the eyes of non-NT fans.

not questioning truthiness... just commenting on the "take my ball and go home" approach to writing an article. Doesn't get what he wants, so he lays into everything negative he can find about the program in the past few years. Let's see...there's a less-than-desirable stadium, low attendance, obligatory Southlake reference... check check check. Oh and let's also comment on how NT isn't in the same position as the top program in the state... check. Ok, I think that's everything... lets send this baby to print!

Anyways, Im done with this topic... I'll never understand it, and I'm ok with that.

[GreenBat]

Please refrain from calling TimmyMac a dildo...the guy has done more good for the program than Vito has ever dreamed of doing.

TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo, TimmyMac is a dildo.

Please understand, I thought TimmyMac was a great beat writer when he covered NT, but please tell me what he did "for the program" that Vito has not. They both covered the teams well. Some don't like Vito's style of reporting, but it is not bad. Brett does his job, just like TimmyMac did. TimmyMac, as an alum, might have donated a few bucks more and may have bought some tickets to games, but all he did while he was the NT beat writer was his job. He happened to be at the DRC during the DD glory years and there was more positive things to write about. As a sports writer, Vito does a solid job covering the NT beat. TimmyMac's style may have been different, but that does not mean he was better.

I worked with TimmyMac for two-plus years. I consider him a friend and after calling him a dildo 10 times I hope I can still consider him a friend. I do think TimmyMac is a talented writer, but I don't agree with his stance on Dodge closing practices.

[Censored by Laurie]

The reason closed practices are making such news is that for years the DFW media has completly ignored UNT...and the few times there was an interest DD basically would've given the media our playbook, players jock sizes and one of his wife's lace teddies if they would've asked. Papa Todd knew how he wanted to run his practices when he came here, its entirly his choice, and I hope he keeps them closed...especially to na self-important douche like Tim McMahon...you mentioned Todd Dodge's name once as a possible succesor to Dickey...it doesn't take much of a brilliant sports mind to look at a guy who has gone 77-1 and say "hmmm...maybe he's a good coach."

Douche

[meangreenfreak]

Well, the bright side to all of this is that HE WANTED TO COVER UNT. In the past, only the people assigned to UNT would write anything. Now we have reporters complaning that they can't get enough access. That tells me that the arrow of progress is pointed up!

TD should give him a 1 on 1 interview after practice and all will be well.

Edited August 16, 2007 by meangreenfreak

[GreenBlooded1]

Wow... what a concept. A coach who would rather work with his team with no distractions than play "nice" with the media. Geez, we should consider ouselves lucky! You know what they say... Any media coverage is a good thing. Yes???

Edited August 16, 2007 by GreenBlooded1