Boomer

jdennis82 · November 9, 2009

i'm not going to turn this into a complaint and have been told that it's fired off after a loss occasionally because it's an easier way to unload the cannon, but i'm just curious to know if there's any definition to when it goes off. who actually operates that thing? is it a group of students who just enjoy doing it on a whim? i ask because it was fired off between the first and second quarter saturday (we were losing) and then also at halftime (we were losing worse).

without more selective timing on boomer's use, what could be a really great tradition instead becomes an annoyance and just creates confusion.

please don't interpret this to be a complaint about those who work so hard to bring boomer to life each and every home game. your/their dedication is appreciated.

eulessismore · November 9, 2009

i'm not going to turn this into a complaint and have been told that it's fired off after a loss occasionally because it's an easier way to unload the cannon, but i'm just curious to know if there's any definition to when it goes off. who actually operates that thing? is it a group of students who just enjoy doing it on a whim? i ask because it was fired off between the first and second quarter saturday (we were losing) and then also at halftime (we were losing worse).
without more selective timing on boomer's use, what could be a really great tradition instead becomes an annoyance and just creates confusion.
please don't interpret this to be a complaint about those who work so hard to bring boomer to life each and every home game. your/their dedication is appreciated.

I'm not sure this is a good time to bring this up, since some will interpret it thusly.

SilverEagle · November 9, 2009

i'm not going to turn this into a complaint and have been told that it's fired off after a loss occasionally because it's an easier way to unload the cannon, but i'm just curious to know if there's any definition to when it goes off. who actually operates that thing? is it a group of students who just enjoy doing it on a whim? i ask because it was fired off between the first and second quarter saturday (we were losing) and then also at halftime (we were losing worse).
without more selective timing on boomer's use, what could be a really great tradition instead becomes an annoyance and just creates confusion.
please don't interpret this to be a complaint about those who work so hard to bring boomer to life each and every home game. your/their dedication is appreciated.

Look under the "Boomer" section.

http://www.unt.edu/traditions/

FirefightnRick · November 9, 2009

Look under the "Boomer" section.
http://www.unt.edu/traditions/

No, don't look under the Boomer section because there's so much innacurate information on there that it's silly. The webmaster has recieved the updates I'm told but has yet to make the changes.

To answer the question, Boomer is to be fired at the intro of the team, at the beginning of the game, after each score and immediately after each quarter. It makes me proud as a North Texas alumn that folks recognize the fact that we have one of the most unique college game day experiences in the nation, even though at times because of Boomer's uniqueness it can lead to confusing, sporadic fire. Sometimes Boomer just doesn't fire. For numerous reasons, most of which are due to the simple fact it's a Muzzle-loading black powder cannon that utilizes a percussion cap...ie...it's fired the newer of the "old fashion" ways, and whether it fires or not ways heavily on the ability of the cannon crew themselves. I assure you they challenge themselves each and every time they load to be as accurate as possible.

By the way, and I'm proud to say this, during the 87-90 seasons, North Texas fans knew exactly when to expect the customary concussion because Boomer NEVER miss fired, and this included the '89 season in which the Talon Cannon crew also loaded and fired the KA mountain howitzer alongside Boomer for 3 of our home games that season.

Rick