Armed Forces Bowl and Random Thoughts

[Harry]

- I hadn't factored in that Armed Forces Bowl which is sponsored and played at SMU might have been a factor in SMU being attractive for the Big East. That's a bowl that the BE can use to it's advantage.

- I couldn't help but think why can't we do this??? SMU was smart, even though they added a bowl when there are too many bowls already they used a cause that no one could argue against, the support of our troops and the armed forces. I looked at the advertising during the game and noticed Bell Helicopter transfere a bit. Fans and people will rally around the armed forces which puts their life on the line for our freedom. Large, wealthy organization like Bell will fork over big bucks to support the event since they make so much money building aircraft for them, its sort of a lobbying effort in a sense.

- Why couldn't UNT do something similar now that we have Apogee in our back pocket? I'm tuning to the board for some ideas...one that I thought of was The Texas Motor Speedway bowl and you could have NASCAR stars come out and run out a bunch of cool cars and trucks for people to see. I would bet you NASCAR has some money to throw our way to help fund it. There are a lot of NASCAR fans that you might be able to attract if you get enough big names out to sign autographs etc..just an idea i pulled out of my butt but you get my drift. Let's face facts, these smaller bowl games are more about infomercials and national TV ad space then they are about sold tickets...seems to me this could be packaged in a way that makes it attractive to a potential sponosor.

- Just as an aside, did you notice that they smartly loaded fans in the student section, the side that the camera is focused on 99.9% of the time? It may well be that they had the alumni section 100% full but I am guessing they did not. This may be something we think about in the future for TV games.

- Man I shudder to think how many DFW recruits Tulsa and even BYU had at that game...what a recruiting bonanza a DFW based bowl could be. Denton and its proximity to a different part of the metroplex would be attractive.

- Last thing and I will let you go. Many ask why do football ad revenues continue to expand in a down economy and over saturated TV landscape with 1000 channels to choose from? One thing I hadn't considered was the advent of DVR. With DVR there are more people who tape their shows and fast forward through the commercials. My wife is a perfect example, she tapes tons of shows and she knows exactly how many times to hit the fast forward button to not watch one commercial. She never watches a commercial on TV. Live sports, in particular football is a program that is best viewed live which increases the potential for advertising exposure because you can't fast forward through the commercials. Now I understand guys will switch the channel to other programming and back ---but if it is a close game I find myself catching lots more commercials because I don't want to miss a play. So even if it is not the best college program in the world playing the game, the chances are you could get better advertising exposure in that program than you could a major television show which is being taped and DVR'd through.

[Rudy]

Why hasn't the game been moved back to Amon?

[Harry]

It looks like they did it due to construction at Amon Carter:

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/04/smus-ford-stadium-to-host-armed-forces-b.html

[THOR]

Why hasn't the game been moved back to Amon?

because construction isn't done at tcu yet

[PlummMeanGreen]

- I hadn't factored in that Armed Forces Bowl which is sponsored and played at SMU might have been a factor in SMU being attractive for the Big East. That's a bowl that the BE can use to it's advantage.

- I couldn't help but think why can't we do this??? SMU was smart, even though they added a bowl when there are too many bowls already they used a cause that no one could argue against, the support of our troops and the armed forces. I looked at the advertising during the game and noticed Bell Helicopter transfere a bit. Fans and people will rally around the armed forces which puts their life on the line for our freedom. Large, wealthy organization like Bell will fork over big bucks to support the event since they make so much money building aircraft for them, its sort of a lobbying effort in a sense.

- Why couldn't UNT do something similar now that we have Apogee in our back pocket? I'm tuning to the board for some ideas...one that I thought of was The Texas Motor Speedway bowl and you could have NASCAR stars come out and run out a bunch of cool cars and trucks for people to see. I would bet you NASCAR has some money to throw our way to help fund it. There are a lot of NASCAR fans that you might be able to attract if you get enough big names out to sign autographs etc..just an idea i pulled out of my butt but you get my drift. Let's face facts, these smaller bowl games are more about infomercials and national TV ad space then they are about sold tickets...seems to me this could be packaged in a way that makes it attractive to a potential sponosor.

- Just as an aside, did you notice that they smartly loaded fans in the student section, the side that the camera is focused on 99.9% of the time? It may well be that they had the alumni section 100% full but I am guessing they did not. This may be something we think about in the future for TV games.

- Man I shudder to think how many DFW recruits Tulsa and even BYU had at that game...what a recruiting bonanza a DFW based bowl could be. Denton and its proximity to a different part of the metroplex would be attractive.

- Last thing and I will let you go. Many ask why do football ad revenues continue to expand in a down economy and over saturated TV landscape with 1000 channels to choose from? One thing I hadn't considered was the advent of DVR. With DVR there are more people who tape their shows and fast forward through the commercials. My wife is a perfect example, she tapes tons of shows and she knows exactly how many times to hit the fast forward button to not watch one commercial. She never watches a commercial on TV. Live sports, in particular football is a program that is best viewed live which increases the potential for advertising exposure because you can't fast forward through the commercials. Now I understand guys will switch the channel to other programming and back ---but if it is a close game I find myself catching lots more commercials because I don't want to miss a play. So even if it is not the best college program in the world playing the game, the chances are you could get better advertising exposure in that program than you could a major television show which is being taped and DVR'd through.

Harry, you're on a roll and why not get the Denton County-based Texas Motor Speedway's Bruton Smith involved with this Apogee-based bowl or better yet.... how's about our fellow North Texas alum (?) who is CEO of Inter-State Batteries or .....both of them?

GMG!

PS: There are just some things North Texas is going to have to do to let NCAA powers know we are not brain-dead or oblivious to things that take place outside our little comfort zone known as Denton,Texas. Not every non AQ school has the market or alums to make this work, but we sure as hell do yet someone on campus has to take the ball and run with it.

Does North Texas ever use the list in the link below of invaluable North Texas Exes many of whom yield much power and influence?

This newer list of our rich and famous is almost unbelievable and most impressive to say the least. One on the list even sang the national anthem at Apogee Stadium's debut game.

http://en.wikipedia....th_Texas_alumni

Edited December 31, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen

[EagleMBA]

The biggest obstacles to such a game would be the Double Ds -

Denia

Denton

They are the D zeze!

[PlummMeanGreen]

The biggest obstacles to such a game would be the Double Ds -

Denia

Denton

They are the D zeze!

Would probably have to transcend those 2 D's.

Denton County is probably the key to our alma mater's ultimate athletic success and probably always has been. The sooner our campus leaders understand this and do something proactive about it the further ahead Mean Green athletics will be across the board. Just sayin' how I know many others think on this subject.

GMG!

Edited December 31, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNTLifer]

I didn't think SMU sponsored this game and were only hosting it because Amon Carter was under construction.

[MeanGreenDan]

The biggest obstacles to such a game would be the Double Ds -

Denia

Denton

They are the D zeze!

I am confused. There is no D in Rick or Villareal...

[shaft]

A couple of realistic thoughts.

1. The NCAA has a ban on new bowls (thank god).

2. Its not SMU's bowl, its TCU's.

3. The TCU new's home in the B12 and MWC-CUSA merger will likely change the bowl's tie-in.

4. The Armed Forces Bowl and Ticket City bowls are actually reasons for UNT to get the last spot in the merger. Its hard to sell 15,000 tickets to a Friday morning DFW bowl. We stand a better chance of doing that than say Arkansas State.

[playoffpush]

Biggest reason this can't be done is that there are already bowls on the waiting list to be added and the NCAA isn't adding any more bowl games anytime soon. There is a bowl from LA and Orlando that are trying to get added but the NCAA keeps turning them down.

[ADLER]

I believe you people are putting unnecessary strain on you extra chromosomes debating this subject.

Bowls are played in places that are tourist destinations, at least to the point that the city/county have tourism commissions that perceive benefits from sponsoring such events.

Denton Texas would be way, way, way down the list of places and it has nothing to do with the Athletic Director, Denton mayor, Denia neighborhood, NCAA, two ponds for tailgating, the Red Hoodie Gangstas, or a shadowy figure wearing a pony cap on the grassy knoll.

[Green Mean]

I believe you people are putting unnecessary strain on you extra chromosomes debating this subject.

Bowls are played in places that are tourist destinations, at least to the point that the city/county have tourism commissions that perceive benefits from sponsoring such events.

Denton Texas would be way, way, way down the list of places and it has nothing to do with the Athletic Director, Denton mayor, Denia neighborhood, NCAA, two ponds for tailgating, the Red Hoodie Gangstas, or a shadowy figure wearing a pony cap on the grassy knoll.

Tho I believe your post is exaggerated I will agree with you that location could be a factor that hurts us if we ever applied to host a bowl game at Apogee.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Green Mean

[ADLER]

Tho I believe your post is exaggerated I will agree with you that location could be a factor that hurts us if we ever applied to host a bowl game at Apogee.

Yeah, it could be a contributing factor, kinda like two bullets may have hastened Kennedy's death even though everybody was aware that he had some unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Bowls are ONLY created to boost tourism, to put people in local hotels during a slower season. If there are no economic benefits, as would be the case with Denton, there is no reason at all to host a bowl game.

[SilverEagle]

I tend to agree with Adler about why a bowl wouldn't happen in Denton. I also agree with Harry that a NASCAR theme might be the only thing that might work since Texas Motors Speedway is the main tourist destination in Denton county. The other factor that would work against a new bowl would be weather.

[UNTFan23]

Other than a lack of places to visit in Denton, there is not a lot of hotel rooms nearby the stadium or in Denton. SMU and TCU both have nearby tourist destinations that make them much more attractive host sites.

I know the NT football team actually spends Friday night in a hotel but I don't know where. I'm pretty sure it's not in Denton though. I doubt visiting teams even stay in Denton if they are "in town" for the night.

[Big E]

The Interstate Batteries CEO is Norm Miller, UNT alum. I emailed Rick V. a few years ago to see if Norm had been contacted about Interstate being a major sponsor of North Texas athletics and never got a reply. I've always been surprised that Interstate hasn't had more of a presence at UNT with Norm's relationship to the university. I've heard Norm speak in person and he speaks very positively of his time at North Texas. Perhaps they are content with their NASCAR presence.

[oldguystudent]

NCAA Moratorium on new bowls aside.

1) Bowl games sell beer. Lots of beer. I don't see Lane Rawlins pushing through even a temporary license for such a thing.

2) Bowl cities welcome tourists. You cannot convince me that El Paso or pre-casino Shreveport had more interesting attractions than Denton. The difference? Denton city council and residents have a virtual "Outsiders stay away!" sign posted at every street crossing into Denton city limits.

3) There are ample mid-shelf hotel rooms in Denton on 35 just north of 380 and on 35 at 288. There are zero four-star hotel rooms. Tough to sell it on, "Welcome to Denton! Here's your room at the Comfort Inn!" Need to accelerate that whole Denton convention center thing.

4) Elect me mayor of Denton, and I will push for all of these issues to be remedied, and I'll even help the situation by lobbying the Denton Blues Festival to move its date up into January, or to create an auxiliary event in which Denton gets to showcase its live music throughout the Industrial/Square district the weekend of the game with city sponsored shuttles to/from the square, Apogee, and the two previously mentioned hotel areas. I will fund it with $10 residential parking permits for Denia residents to park their own vehicles in their own driveways.

5) Like the Hawaii Bowl and its host school, make UNT an auto-bid if it qualifies for a bowl and gets shunned by the illustrious Beef O' Brady bowl.

6) Name the bowl "The Get Laid with Mattress Mac Bowl."

7) PROFIT!

[Harry]

Other than a lack of places to visit in Denton, there is not a lot of hotel rooms nearby the stadium or in Denton. SMU and TCU both have nearby tourist destinations that make them much more attractive host sites.

I know the NT football team actually spends Friday night in a hotel but I don't know where. I'm pretty sure it's not in Denton though. I doubt visiting teams even stay in Denton if they are "in town" for the night.

It's a hotel by the racetrack from my understanding. I think they do that to keep them away from distractions and it makes sense.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Lest we all forget, there are plans for Denton and North Texas to partner for a major hotel and major conference center to be built inside the Mean Green Village near Apogee Stadium. I know budget has been a problem as far as finding the hotel firm who can work with whatever budget has been set for this project.

I'm also all but certain that such another major addition inside the MG Village would also be a negative with CUSA'ers as their posters are now saying a large TV market such as ours with our 208,000 DFW NT Exes suddenly has become. (Good smack board snow job from those in a small market who think CUSA is going to fall over themselves to expand with their $15 million athletic budget NE LA school with sub par facilities to boot).

Yet what a bunch of small TV market goobers who think their Alliance 16 model is going to work "with all that extra conferenceTV package monies---NOT) when the WAC 16 model didn't work and if you've read posts by alums of Rice, Tulsa and UTEP who were part of the WAC 16 most of that group don't think the Alliance 16 will work, either. Maybe with that group it's a case of "been there--done that?"

Sometimes it seems that learning impaired "self proclaimed" demagogues permeate the entire NCAA, ie, those running these conferences and even at many of the school's athletic departments inside those conferences.

Thought For The Day: Isn't it interesting that we now live in a country where you can legally burn the American flag but there are now places you cannot fly the American flag?

(Register to vote today).

GMG!

Edited January 2, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNTLifer]

The Interstate Batteries CEO is Norm Miller, UNT alum. I emailed Rick V. a few years ago to see if Norm had been contacted about Interstate being a major sponsor of North Texas athletics and never got a reply. I've always been surprised that Interstate hasn't had more of a presence at UNT with Norm's relationship to the university. I've heard Norm speak in person and he speaks very positively of his time at North Texas. Perhaps they are content with their NASCAR presence.

I would like to think he has been contacted in the past regarding donating and possibly the naming rights of what is now Apogee Stadium. Not sure if he gives or not.

[buff64]

The DMN reports that the Ticket Bowl group was not able to find enough sponsers , to fully fund the bowl game . Game's future in Dallas in doubt.