Poor Reception At The Reception

[cl_1_2008]

Well...I'm sure all with get over the frustration including RV and coach MacCanrey (sp). The new coach has 500,000.00 reasons to be able to get over it. I'm sure he's seen much worse in the real world and on recruiting visits. At least lets hope so. UNT reputation is in tact and a live and well. I hope the new coach hires coach Deloach.

HAHAHA Deloach is that you? Did you watch the press conference? There is a 0% chance D-Lo is retained.

[GrandGreen]

I was there, and I have no idea why about 2/3 were trying to listen and the rest couldn't shut up; no matter how many times they were asked. From above, one said he couldn't hear in the back; well you couldn't hear in the front either. It should have send a signal that when someone has a mike and is standing in front of a room, he just might be trying to speak. Maybe it was the only basketball crowd that could have cared less about football, and resented the interruption of their social hour. It put RV in a hell of position, either possible alienate some of his biggest donors or let the fiasco of a conference with the new head man continue.

[adman]

Just got off the phone with someone who was there. I nearly dropped the phone when I was told Coach Mac, in what appeared to be frustration, had to ask if the folks in the back would like to have the mic?

This brings me to two questions.

1. Why in hell was he even asked to speak..................AGAIN? This was to be a meet and greet. He gave his press conference already today. Tonight should have been simply a chance for the fans to welcome him. Sounded like a very poorly planned event?

2. Why didn't someone with the AD dept or any of the rest of you who were there who were frustrated with this, not get up, go over to the loudest group and ask that they take their rude ass loud conversations outside?

Damn! Most embarrassing thing I have ever heard. What he must think of NT already?

Rick

It wasn't a poorly planned event just classless, absolute classless, individuals carrying on.

Coach Mac did press the flesh prior to his interview with Dale Hansen only stopping for about 7 minutes to scarf some food down prior to. (Chico was also on hand.)

The Q&A ran a little long because the coach was a little fired up.

RV was not pleased and made his way back toward the mid/back of the room instructing his people to "shoosh" without really shooshing any one group/person.

[UNTflyer]

Coach Mac came over to the Pit Crew and talked to us for a couple minutes. He said its great that we were behind the visitor's bench and we need to "stay on their asses all night." He expects the same when football starts.

I like this guy.

[SilverEagle]

If anything, he went face to face with the culture he will be battling to rid of.

Yep, good assessment GM.

And just think, these are some of the people who actually donate to the program. It's not like these were 60's/70's era slacker students who crashed an event to get some free food....and couldn't care less about athletics.

As much as I didn't want this hire initially, I find this behavior, even for North Texas, embarrassing.

Oh well, it's better that he sees it up front.

Welcome Coach Mac! Great move to retain Coach Canales.

Edited December 1, 2010 by SilverEagle

[UNT90]

Then we do what we can to show him that this is not how we roll. Something as simple as an email or making a point to shake his hand when you are in his vicinity would do nicely. I agree that someone should have had taken charge and said something to the degenerates that don't take a hint.

But this is how we roll. Another close game last night with alums sitting on their hands and their arses. He needs to realize that this is a part of the culture that he needs to change.

Besides, when you let those $250 donors in, what do you expect?

Edited December 1, 2010 by UNT90

[GabeGMG]

I was there and it was very frustrating. My take on it was simply that we needed better PA equipment in there. If you want to take command of the room then you need the capability to do so. Short of screaming into the mic, Coach didn't stand a chance. That said, I did see RV walk through the crowd trying to quiet people down.

Some of the talkers may or may not have been employees of the AD

[Pen Yan Fan]

I was there and it was very frustrating. My take on it was simply that we needed better PA equipment in there. If you want to take command of the room then you need the capability to do so. Short of screaming into the mic, Coach didn't stand a chance. That said, I did see RV walk through the crowd trying to quiet people down.

Some of the talkers may or may not have been employees of the AD

A terrible PA system in a room much to small for the event equals a cluster. Poor planning all the way around. I wish Rawlins would have been on hand to see it.

[NTEdgex2]

Just another example of "it's all about me! I'm more important than everyone else!". Rudeness and entitlement run rampant these days. What idiots.

GMG!

[Green to the Bone]

This talking during presentations isn't a North Texas thing, so don't launch another "only at UNT would this happen" debate. It's an everywhere thing. I've been to dozens of meetings and conferences where the same thing happened. It's usually in a venue where there's food and drink, especially of the spirituous variety; where the meeting room is large enough to allow the people in the back to feel separated from what's happening in the front, and where there are no direct sight lines from the speaker to each person in the room; and where the PA isn't loud enough to drown out all else (the bold is a note to all event organizers).

It also strikes me that our cell phone culture has made it much worse. When people think it's OK to continue a phone conversation while the cashier is trying to speak, I guess they also think it's OK to converse during a presentation.

Meanwhile ...

On another note, while I was in the restroom, I heard a few guys discussing club level seats and they were pretty excited about the different packages. Sounds like they had just became interested in them and newly back to the program.

It always gets me pretty excited to go into a restroom with some guys and discuss the different packages, too.

[Green92]

It always gets me pretty excited to go into a restroom with some guys and discuss the different packages, too.

Is that why you are green to the bone?

[Green to the Bone]

Is that why you are green to the bone?

With a football hire like this, and with MBB doing so well, maybe it's actually bone to the Green ...

[wardly]

i wouldn't get too upset over the reception. one problem was that those in back couldn't hear the question asked, and became disinterested with the q&a. it was a good turnout and everyone was fired up. not a bad problem to have. this guy is good!

[PlummMeanGreen]

I was there and it was very frustrating. My take on it was simply that we needed better PA equipment in there. If you want to take command of the room then you need the capability to do so. Short of screaming into the mic, Coach didn't stand a chance. That said, I did see RV walk through the crowd trying to quiet people down.

Some of the talkers may or may not have been employees of the AD

Hell, if I'd known we were deficient in the PA aspects of this, I could have let them borrowed my Yamaha power speakers with a wirless Shure mic of which those sitting in Stark Hall at Texas Women's University could have heard Coach Mac speak.

Looking at Coach Mac's photos and directly into his countenance, I don't think I'd want to piss off that man more than once.

Like another said, it could have been the "spirits" making some people talk loud. Ever notice how intoxicated people seem to temporarily lose their hearing and therefor speak louder than usual?

GMG

[UNT Mean Green]

Coach Mac came over to the Pit Crew and talked to us for a couple minutes. He said its great that we were behind the visitor's bench and we need to "stay on their asses all night." He expects the same when football starts.

I like this guy.

This is great. He said multiple times yesterday that the students were the pulse of the program. He said something like "36,000 students; are you kidding me?!?!" he is a class act and gets it. Great hire, and the energy in game one of that new Stadium on September 10th will be unlike anything before seen at North Texas.

[KRAM1]

Well, my bride and I were there, and I can tell you that you could not hear in the back of the room at all due to the speakers system. I am pretty sure some in the back were not even aware that Coach Mac was speaking. I am not making excuses for anyone, but unless this happened after my bride and I left for the game, I was not at all aware that it was happening. If it is as it has been in the past, some of the biggest offenders would be the AD staff personnel. I recall many Coach radio shows where the staff were talking through out the entire event. Like I said, i don't know and didn't notice, but I can tell you the room was quiet during the radio show period and that Coach mac did not seem upset AT ALL to me during the time I was with him. This is too bad if it happened as reported, but some of the blame has to be placed on the poor sound system...I was in the room and didn't even realize he had started talking until I turned around...and the lack of any "policing" by the AD staff. They might have stationed themselves around the room and monitored the sound and noise levels. One does need to plan for this sort of thing.

I can bet that not one person in that room was being "rude" on purpose. Everyone in that room was a Mean Green supporter and fan and was excited to meet and greet Coach mac. In fact, the event was labeled and "sold" as a "Meet & Greet", not a Q&A session, so some may not have even been aware of the Q&A session in the first place...again...planning and execution folks, planning and execution.

However, do not think this is in any way the "culture" of the Mean Green. Stuff happens, it did, too bad, but it was a great evening. If you didn't make it, I am sorry you could not be there, but there will be plenty of chances in the future to "meet and greet" Coach McCarney and his wife. If this bothered Coach McCarney for more than 60 seconds, well, he sure didn't show it! Perhaps RV and staff will figure out how to handle this sort of event before the next one...all in all, however, a great evening...and topped off by a Mean green win over UTA! Hard to get much better than last evening for a Mean Green fan!

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR THE MEAN GREEN....be part of it!

[GrandGreen]

On second thought, I don't believe this was as bad as I and others are making it sound. I don't excuse the talkers entirely because some were just rude, there was one guy at our table that talked through a lot of it even though no one else was responding. The major problem was the poor event staging. For those that were not there the room itself was set up for dining with approximately half able to set at one time. The audio system was inadequate for the size of the room and what happened was as soon as McCarney starting talking their was group mostly standing that surrounded him effectively disengaging most of people in the room. The simple answer to a lot of the problems would have been to move the standing crowd to the side were at least he could have been seen if not heard by everyone in the room. A little better planning would have prevented this issue, however I do commend the athletic department for the event. An "A" for effort but a lower grade for execution.

Edited December 1, 2010 by GrandGreen

[UNT 90 Grad]

That's disappointing to hear.

What was discussed at the reception? Question and answer summary?

Here is my recollection of the Q&A session. I'm paraphrasing, so others feel free to correct me or ellaborate. I didn't take notes or anything.

1. Someone asked what kind of defense he'd be using. He didn't specify. He said he's used to working with players that have a lot of speed, but that he would build the defense around the abilities of the players he has.

2. Emmitt asked something about Coach Mac's thoughts on our culture and the perceived "potential" at UNT. (I couldn't really hear the question because of the jack wagons in the back.) He said he didn't care about "potential" but instead cared about what we will be able to accomplish. (I kind of thought that was about the same as "potential", but whatever.)

3. Someone made a comment about us going 12 - 0 next year. After first asking if this person had been drinking doubles, he said that his focus right now is on kicking Houston's ass in game 1.

4. Someone asked if we'd be using a lot of JUCOs next year. He said he wants to build a team on 4 year players and that that would be his focus. However, to get to where we can start winning right away, we may need to bring on a few JUCOs.

I think there were some other questions that I can't remember. He did mention the Canales hire and pointed him out at the back of the room. I chuckled a bit inside when he seemed to not remember what conference UNT is in. It sounded like he started to say "Big East" (maybe had TCU on the brain), but corrected himself by saying "our conference".

Overall, I was impressed and am really looking forward to next year and what he can accomplish. I was also very happy with the Canales hire, as are many others.

[eulessismore]

I was in the back standing against the wall eating, since there weren't any seats available. To be honest I couldn't even hear what he was saying. The portable PA system wasn't great. Everyone was pretty quiet during his interview with Dale and during his introduction. At first I didn't think he was going to say much as they were really pushing that they were going to keep it short so everyone could get out to the basketball game, but he seemed to keep going. I couldn't hear much of it at all. Actually I had no idea there were any uncomfortable moments or issues until I read this post.

The crowd was a who's who of big donors. I hadn't seen that many together in a while and there were a lot of good ole boy conversations going on. There was also a lot of alcohol being consumed which tends to raise the "emotion" level.

On another note, while I was in the restroom, I heard a few guys discussing club level seats and they were pretty excited about the different packages. Sounds like they had just became interested in them and newly back to the program.

It's kind of sad that, with the world class College of Music, as well as the RTF program, we can't have people handling events who set up the audio properly.

[LoveMG]

Just got off the phone with someone who was there. I nearly dropped the phone when I was told Coach Mac, in what appeared to be frustration, had to ask if the folks in the back would like to have the mic?

This brings me to two questions.

1. Why in hell was he even asked to speak..................AGAIN? This was to be a meet and greet. He gave his press conference already today. Tonight should have been simply a chance for the fans to welcome him. Sounded like a very poorly planned event?

2. Why didn't someone with the AD dept or any of the rest of you who were there who were frustrated with this, not get up, go over to the loudest group and ask that they take their rude ass loud conversations outside?

Damn! Most embarrassing thing I have ever heard. What he must think of NT already?

Rick

there were over 400 people in the room. they were asked by rv to be quiet for 5 min for the live tv interview and they were. then after when he went to the hand mike for q and a his volume was louder so people thought they could talk again. most in the back we blocked from view from people standing. i could see how they would could not hear his answers and started conversations again. not a good room or time for questions on a mike, poorly planned.