Fence Sitting

shaft · April 4, 2009

excerpt from http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/...4.9e7ecc21.html

"Getting the stadium built would mean to the North Texas fan sitting on the fence that we are serious about being a player in Division I college football," said Harry Miers, a longtime UNT fan, supporter and founder of UNT fan Web site www.gomeangreen.com. "It would make alums to feel like they are putting their time and money into a good investment and give alums who haven't been back to the school in a while a reason to come back. If any program needed that right now, it's North Texas."

Fans don't sit on the fence because of the stadium, they sit on the fence because of the product on the field.

GreenMachine · April 4, 2009

i must admit, I read the title Fence Sitting, and then saw Shaft and I giggled. Can I pop my first beer yet? I'm getting anxious!

KRAM1 · April 4, 2009

So, Shaft...I suspose the cry from the "doubters" will now be "win and I'll get involved" now that the stadium is announced and moving forward publicly, right? Take one "reason" away and they seem to find another why they will not support the program with their $$$$ or time. RV told the MEAN GREEN NATION that a new stadium would be built...IT IS! No doubts there any longer.

Take away one excuse and they find another. You just can't win with some folks, I get that. Too bad. Today will be a great day for those members of the MEAN GREEN NATION who do believe the program is moving forward. RV, Prez B, Coach Dodge and many others will have every right to be smiling broadly today. Way to go UNT!

Come out to the spring game tailgate today and doubt no longer about the new stadium. It's a GREAT DAY for the Mean Green.

GO MEAN GREEN!

shaft · April 4, 2009

The stadium is going to be built. Attendance will even be up the first few years of the new stadium. But a new era?

SMU has a nice stadium, they've had one for a a few years now.

Era's are defined by the product on the field, and the Dodge era is the worst in school history. But hey I'm glad were getting a new stadium.

island eagle · April 4, 2009

“Getting the stadium built would mean to the North Texas fan sitting on the fence that we are serious about being a player in Division I college football,” said Harry Miers, a longtime UNT fan, supporter and founder of UNT fan Web site www.gomeangreen.com. “It would make alums to feel like they are putting their time and money into a good investment and give alums who haven’t been back to the school in a while a reason to come back. If any program needed that right now, it’s North Texas.”
Fans don't sit on the fence because of the stadium, they sit on the fence because of the product on the field.

Sorry, Shaft, but I don't believe that. They sat on the fence when we were getting reviewed for the Liberty Bowl in 1978. A game in which we rolled over Memphis (St....as it was called then) 41-24 at Fouts Field to cap off a 9-2 season. What the Bowl Committee noticed was not our impressive victory, but the lack of butts in the seats for what was arguably the most important game in post-WW II North Texas football history. After that game, Fry said "I'm out of here".

They sat on the after Rod Rust went 7-1-1 in winning the Missouri Valley Conference. They sat on the fence also in 1959 when we won the Valley and went to the Sun Bowl.

Fan support may have been a refection of Administration policy over the years, but consistently we have failed to show up in the numbers indicative of our school size even when the product on the field was outstanding. I can remember plenty of empty seats at Fouts when fans could see Mean Joe Greene and FIVE OTHER future pro football players at the same time playing for the Mean Green.

We just need to cultivate an attitude of supporting our university and program, regardless of the product on the field. Amazingly, if we had that we might actually see the product we want.

shaft · April 4, 2009

Pssst. The stadium is a result of our on field success. Four straight conference championships put the program in a new position to start planning for the stadium.

Stadium by themselves not make programs better. And rambling about single seasons and one big win doesn't matter either.

But like I said, I'm glad were getting a new stadium. I hope the next coach does really well there.

filmerj · April 4, 2009

I am happy about the new stadium, but that doesn't change the fact that , no one outside this fan board gives a rats ass about this team. The Majority of students don't care, and I don't know if they ever will, and I am not sure winning will cure that either. It's not a must do event like at other schools. Before everyone jumps on me, I love the school , I am one of the biggest fans and supporters around, I am just tired of no one caring.

Mean Green 93-98 · April 4, 2009

I am happy about the new stadium, but that doesn't change the fact that , no one outside this fan board gives a rats ass about this team. The Majority of students don't care, and I don't know if they ever will, and I am not sure winning will cure that either. It's not a must do event like at other schools. Before everyone jumps on me, I love the school , I am one of the biggest fans and supporters around, I am just tired of no one caring.

The results of last fall's student vote says that is not entirely true. Support for football is a ton better than when I was a student, and that was not all that long ago. A few big wins, a general winning attitude, a shiny new stadium--it may not turn us into the new UT, but it could definitely bring us to where we can fill a 30k+ stadium a few times a year.

filmerj · April 4, 2009

The results of last fall's student vote says that is not entirely true. Support for football is a ton better than when I was a student, and that was not all that long ago. A few big wins, a general winning attitude, a shiny new stadium--it may not turn us into the new UT, but it could definitely bring us to where we can fill a 30k+ stadium a few times a year.

I truly hope your right. I know there's potential for our programs to be great, but like my dad (the coach) always says, potential don't play.

NT80 · April 5, 2009

The stadium is going to be built. Attendance will even be up the first few years of the new stadium. But a new era?
SMU has a nice stadium, they've had one for a a few years now.
Era's are defined by the product on the field, and the Dodge era is the worst in school history. But hey I'm glad were getting a new stadium.

Shaft has a point. Eras are defined by coach's wins and losses, not stadiums. Attendance at NT is defined mostly by opponent. Show us a Navy, Smut, Baylor, or other meaningful opponent and our fans will show, regardless of record. This is why the conference issue and home OOC schedule is just as important as the stadium issue to our future.

Edited April 5, 2009 by NT80

wardly · April 5, 2009

"sell the sizzle, not the steak" is an old sales saying. the sizzle [ new stadium] will initally attract new fans and a stronger oc schedule, as well as better position us when/if conference realignment occurs. i believe that at some time the sunbelt and cusa will form 2 more geographic friendly conferences, with middle tenn and w. k. moving to mac. this also would create new fan interest.however, setting those issues aside, at some point you must put a product on the field that is competative. i am 66, an avid college football fan, and the team we fielded last year was the worst 1a team i have ever seen. if the students, alumni, and university do their part in getting a stadiun built in the worst economy since the great depression, the coaching staff must produce as well. however, i have a hard time finding but 1 or 2 teams on our schedule that we can beat. while it was probably time for d.d. to move on, " be carefull what you wish for" seems to hold true.