Our Football Program and the Negativity it Breeds: A Challenge

[JRock]

Fellow Mean Green Nation:

Please bear with me. My intentions could not be more sincere about our program. I can't help but post this after reading all of the negative comments just one week into the season both on this forum and in the DRC. I had to do a double take at the URL on the forum because I swore I was reading CNN from all of the negativity flying around this board about our beloved North Texas and the football program. Yes, I was disappointed in the first game. I am not going to waste my time and try and break it down. That is for the coaches to do.

Please allow me to give you a brief background into where I am going with this. I recently resigned from a lead faculty position at a local, well respected college after four years due to the state education cuts. While there, I established a strict policy in all of my program/classes about not bringing negativity into the classroom. I also encouraged my adjunct faculty to do the same. This policy helped foster more productive student engagement and learning in an vast and often complex area of study. I dealt with students from numerous cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Every student had a different story and set of challenges. At the beginning of each class, I asked. "Does anyone have any good news to share before we begin?"

This one question started a chain reaction throughout the semester. One piece of good news started a movement that allowed for a more engaged and active learning environment. A student who was having a terrible day for whatever reason or a student who was in the military just returning from Iraq/Afghanistan was given an opportunity to share or listen to a brief moment of good news. This simple question proved to be very powerful. By removing unnecessary negativity/complaining the student learning outcomes became more achievable for the class. The students who were set on being negative began to feel so uncomfortable and overwhelmed with positive thinking, they had no choice but to adapt or leave. It was an amazing thing to experience. Over the years, my administration and some industry colleagues noticed what I was doing. In 2010 I ended up giving a lecture at USC and at a major conference in Vegas on this very policy. So, how does this relate to NT football? I wager I don't have to explain any more after you venture around this board or in the comment section of the online DRC. Being negative doesn't help our cause one bit. Why do we do it? Because it's easier and it gives a sense of satisfaction to speak garbage and rant. We are all guilty of doing it at some point so my challenge for us all is to practice moving forward with positive thinking rather than rolling in a festering pit of green misery.

The future is bright for our school and our athletic program and being a part of it right now is remarkable. Our "outcomes" are closer and easier to achieve than you think.

Go Mean Green!

Best,

JRock

Edited September 7, 2011 by JRock

[SilverEagle]

You know, if I had read this article back in 2005, I might have done something different on that infamous night when we played U La La. I voiced my displeasure to the coaching staff who were making their way down to the field right before half-time. "Hey! We're gettin' out-coached! I yelled. I realize now that I should have yelled.....

"Hey! I'm POSITIVE that we're gettin' out-coached!

............

[JRock]

You know, if I had read this article back in 2005, I might have done something different on that infamous night when we played U La La. I voiced my displeasure to the coaching staff who were making their way down to the field right before half-time. "Hey! We're gettin' out-coached! I yelled. I realize now that I should have yelled.....

"Hey! I'm POSITIVE that we're gettin' out-coached!

............

Hehe. LMAO. You sound like one of my students.

JRock

[SilverEagle]

Hehe. LMAO. You sound like one of my students.

JRock

Thanks. Some of us never completely grow up......and that's a good thing.

BTW, what do you teach?

[JRock]

Thanks. Some of us never completely grow up......and that's a good thing.

BTW, what do you teach?

Believe me. I am still a kid inside. I am a computer animator for the film/production industry. I am now back in the industry full time but I was teaching 3D modeling/animation and game design. Went through UNT's art school back on the 90's. I'll probably end up back in higher ed one day. Loved it.

JRock

[GTWT]

Great post. But your preaching to the board that bitched about a coach in the early 2000s that had won 4 straight conference championships and 4 straight coach-of-the-year awards. Positivity ain't one of our virtues.

I'm betting that by December of this year some of our posters will be calling for the current coach to be fired.

God bless Texas

[JRock]

Great post. But your preaching to the board that bitched about a coach in the early 2000s that had won 4 straight conference championships and 4 straight coach-of-the-year awards. Positivity ain't one of our virtues.

I'm betting that by December of this year some of our posters will be calling for the current coach to be fired.

God bless Texas

So true. I've read this board for years, but just now contribute consistently. The loyalty thing gets pretty ridiculous around here. And most of the time people complain cause it makes them feel better. I'll do my part to help combat that garbage. Constructive criticism is one thing but constant negativity...personally I don't like to be around.

JRock

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I'm positive that Sacto State beat Oregon State...and we were drubbed by a fellow Sun Belt foe.

Look, man, I like your vibe. But, there's nothing positive abut having 28 points hung on your the first quarter of a season opener when the jersey of your opponent doesn't say "Sooner" or "Texas" or "LSU."

I don't care how bad recruiting has been. Never should a fellow Sun Belt team hang 28 points on us in one quarter.

Coach McCarney said himself after the game, "No excuses." So, we will positively give him no excuses.

I think the deal is, if we are competitive this year, people won't freak out so much.

[JRock]

I'm positive that Sacto State beat Oregon State...and we were drubbed by a fellow Sun Belt foe.

Look, man, I like your vibe. But, there's nothing positive abut having 28 points hung on your the first quarter of a season opener when the jersey of your opponent doesn't say "Sooner" or "Texas" or "LSU."

I don't care how bad recruiting has been. Never should a fellow Sun Belt team hang 28 points on us in one quarter.

Coach McCarney said himself after the game, "No excuses." So, we will positively give him no excuses.

I think the deal is, if we are competitive this year, people won't freak out so much.

Of course. However, there are many in our fan base that can make more of an effort than whining all the time and use that spent energy on being constructive. I have been a fan a long time and my loyalty has never weakened. There is something to say about an anonymous quote about becoming great.

"One becomes great by surrounding themselves by great people."

JRock

[pollock]

Of course. However, there are many in our fan base that can make more of an effort than whining all the time and use that spent energy on being constructive. I have been a fan a long time and my loyalty has never weakened. There is something to say about an anonymous quote about becoming great.

"One becomes great by surrounding themselves by great people."

JRock

He's about to ask if we've heard about the benefits of Mona Vie.

[JRock]

He's about to ask if we've heard about the benefits of Mona Vie.

Very funny.

JRock

[Keith7]

Are we supposed to be happy about getting our butts kicked by Florida International? I'm so confused.

[KRAM1]

So true. I've read this board for years, but just now contribute consistently. The loyalty thing gets pretty ridiculous around here. And most of the time people complain cause it makes them feel better. I'll do my part to help combat that garbage. Constructive criticism is one thing but constant negativity...personally I don't like to be around.

JRock

Welcome to the crowd. hard to imagine why all the negativity continues, but some folks just cannot help themselves. It's pretty easy to figure out who will always find the "negative side" of almost everything that is UNT. They generally refer to it as realism or being realistic, but really, it's just being negative. There is ALWAYS something positive to be gained from college athletics...if nothing else, it's fun to watch...win, lose or draw. If you can't find something positive from being on a college campus on a fall afternoon or evening, watching two teams battle it out on the field, then you probably never will be able to find anything positive in most anything. Doesn't mean you have to "enjoy" a loss, just means that you might want to keep it in a bit of perspective and focus on the enjoyable parts of the experience. There were probably many more enjoyable experiences than negative ones...just focus on those. If you cannot enjoy yourself at all unless your team wins, then you probably don't need to be going to sporting events of any kind as you will surely be disappointed from time to time. It's just one perspective.

[MeanGreenWithEnvy]

Here's an analogy that I recently used to explain where Mean Green football is right now to an economist friend of mine: this is the difference between the technical end of a recession and that point in time when public sentiment agrees that the recession is over. There are all sorts of technical indicators for when a recession ends; however, a recession doesn't really end until a majority of the public feels like it's over. That can sometimes be one year or two years after the technical indicators say the recession is over. What happens in the interim between the technical indicators saying it's ended and public sentiment agreeing it's ended is, essentially, tangible proof that people can see and feel. Businesses ramp up operations and hire more folks, new businesses open, people with jobs see raises and expanded opportunities to advance, etc.

I'd argue that Dan McCarney is the right guy for the job and his coaches are the right coaches for the job. His hiring and this past offseason are the equivalent of the technical indicators that our football recession is over. However, your average UNT student, your average Mean Green fan, and a few hardcore Mean Green fans don't feel like it's over. They don't feel like it's over because we have yet to see that tangible proof that things have turned around: competitive losses against better teams, then wins against Sun Belt teams, then non-conference wins, then back to going bowling.

I feel like we're already turned around and that the tangible proof is coming, but at the same time I understand folks who need to see the proof before they'll feel the same way.

[foutsrouts]

I suspect some of the extra dose of post-loss negativity this week stems not only from thoughts of what is likely to occur this Saturday, but also from what people see lurking in the shadows the following Saturday(s). The possibility of 5 uglies in a row is now not beyond the realm of comprehension. We really needed something positive to take from that first one.

Btw, anyone know how I can change my name before I officially fade off into history?

[untjim1995]

It's pretty easy to figure out who will always find the "negative side" of almost everything that is UNT. They generally refer to it as realism or being realistic, but really, it's just being negative.

I love North Texas. I graduated in 1995 with a degree in finance that I use to this day and has helped me and my family to have a better lifestyle than I ever dreamed of. That said, if I want to realistically look at North Texas football since I graduated, it isn't anything positive--as a matter of fact, it is very negative. Our record since coming back to 1-A is 61 and 128, so basically we lose 2 of every 3 games we play. In those 61 that we have won, we have beaten 5 AQs (Oregon State, Texas Tech twice, Baylor, and Cincninati (non-AQ at the time)). We also beat Boise State three times, but it was before they got really big time (96,97, and 99). So, realistically, we have trained our fanbase to expect losses and for the wins to be against teams that most of them just don't care a lot about. Of the 128 losses, sure, some of them have been tough losses and to some good teams, but the vast majority have looked like the previous FIU game--uninspired, physically-dominated losses to teams few people know about or care abuot that make folks question their fandom--or more importantly, whether to become a fan.

Most fans want to get behind a winner, but it has to be a winner at something that has value, which is why the SBC Championship teams of the early 00s never got much attendance or attention. This next game is one that can get attention. We play a name school that folks around here know and they are very good right now. If there was a way to have our best game in a decade, it would be now. Because, realistically, if we get blown out, those folks who are just coming to the game because of the new stadium or because UNT is playing someone at home that they have heard of are gonna go right back to being "negative", as you put it. Those of us who are realistic about Coach Mac's first year understand that if we only win 3 games or less this year, we still have a lot to realistically hope for, as well. But I will never understand how believing that we aren't that great right now (very generous here) is being negative, esepcially when we have gone 13-59 since 2005. Almost everyone can argue that this view is grounded in nothing but reality.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Are we supposed to be happy about getting our butts kicked by Florida International? I'm so confused.

Not happy, "positive."

[JRock]

Are we supposed to be happy about getting our butts kicked by Florida International? I'm so confused.

Good grief.

JRock

[houstonmeangreen]

well, when your def gives up 28 pts in first qt and your off scores NO points the entire game...not a lot of pos. to show or cheer about !

[UNT90]

well, when your def gives up 28 pts in first qt and your off scores NO points the entire game...not a lot of pos. to show or cheer about !

To a conference opponent.

While you don't throw a 1st downpass the entire 1st half.

Damnit!! I said I was done, and y'all drew me offsides!!

[Aquila_Viridis]

I'll tell you why I've been particularly "negative" about last week's first quarter. I listened for years to people saying that Dodge just needs time, yet I thought he was probably a stinker (for D1 college) before his first game. Then it quickly became apparent that he clearly was a stinker but hardly anyone would call it out, because they...just......wanted.........to............keep...............things....................positive!

That approach didn't work out very well. As a fan (meaning in most important part, I want the team to win), 'torture' is the best word for how it worked out. I guess there's something laudible about enduring torture with a positive attitude. However, it is much more laudible to try to do something to stop the torture.

And now, that clearly stunk last week almost as bad as it possibly could. My hope is that it improves a lot immediately. If it does not then I think we have seen this movie before and maybe this time some people will remember how it goes (on and on) and ends, and call for change promptly IF it is needed. You should be able to tell pretty soon if it is there. Please don't fall into that 'it takes time' garbage.

I found last week to be alarming and I did NOT expect that opening quarter. If the ensuing weeks are alarming then yes this place is one of the ways to sound the alarm. I don't want to see any more money wasted for one thing. Return on investment in that stadium largely depends on outstanding coaching, not on our collective happy vibe. If you want to call that negative then really you just have different priorities.

[UNT90]

I'll tell you why I've been particularly "negative" about last week's first quarter. I listened for years to people saying that Dodge just needs time, yet I thought he was probably a stinker (for D1 college) before his first game. Then it quickly became apparent that he clearly was a stinker but hardly anyone would call it out, because they...just......wanted.........to............keep...............things....................positive!

That approach didn't work out very well. As a fan (meaning in most important part, I want the team to win), 'torture' is the best word for how it worked out. I guess there's something laudible about enduring torture with a positive attitude. However, it is much more laudible to try to do something to stop the torture.

And now, that clearly stunk last week almost as bad as it possibly could. My hope is that it improves a lot immediately. If it does not then I think we have seen this movie before and maybe this time some people will remember how it goes (on and on) and ends, and call for change promptly IF it is needed. You should be able to tell pretty soon if it is there. Please don't fall into that 'it takes time' garbage.

I found last week to be alarming and I did NOT expect that opening quarter. If the ensuing weeks are alarming then yes this place is one of the ways to sound the alarm. I don't want to see any more money wasted for one thing. Return on investment in that stadium largely depends on outstanding coaching, not on our collective happy vibe. If you want to call that negative then really you just have different priorities.

Solid

[GTWT]

Please don't fall into that 'it takes time' garbage.

BUT, my Mean Green friend, time is exactly what we need. Time to install new schemes. Time to recruit new players. Time, most of all, to instill a new attitude.

Look at the FIU game as a baseline. It tells us where we are and where we need to go. I think we have the right coaches in place but it will surely take time to get there. In the meantime, let's be as supportive as possible.

God bless Texas

[eppy4life]

I think most here are ready to have something to get excited about. Look at all the offseason talk, we will find positives (and negatives) out of anything. If you can honestly find positives out of last week's performance I applaud you. But don't come on here and act like those of us who are down in the dumps are out of line. I believe those who've been season ticket holders the last 5 years have every right to be a little negative. Go over in your mind all the home games we've sat through in the past 5 years. I'd argue that our fan base is pretty darn loyal to sit through all that and still care enough to be upset.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

To a SUN BELT conference opponent.

While you don't throw a 1st downpass the entire 1st half.

Damnit!! I said I was done, and y'all drew me offsides!!

Fixed.