Razorback Fans Get Response From Coach Bielema.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Again.... How can you make that claim when we have never tried it? Despite hardly ever promoting open practices and scrimmages before we used to have at times hundreds show up in the past . Before Dodge people just attended them through word of mouth here on gmg.com and or just showed up.

As I have linked to before, other programs make it a traditional event getting thousands to attend. At some point, they did it once, then again and again....every year it piggy-backed onto the previous year as a tradition and people became to expect it and it grew.

The truth is, you are pulling that assumption out of thin air. You have no way of knowing cause you probably never attended one and we have never tried.

Rick

You're absolutely correct. It's just an assumption. And no, I haven't attended any practice outside of Spring Scrimmage Games.

I have no idea how many people would actually show up, but I know that GMG.com is the center of UNT's fandom, and there is only a handful of people who are clamoring for open practices. I would be shocked if 100's of people showed up to watch practice, especially if those watching were not friends/relatives of the players, or already season ticket holders.

Maybe coach Mac and the other coaches cuss like sailors and get in players' faces (or, *gasp* push them around) to motivate them, and he doesn't want outsiders to see that because video could get out and make the program look bad? Who knows his reasons, but they're his reasons.

[FirefightnRick]

Who knows his reasons, but they're his reasons.

Right, they are his reasons...just like it's his to decide on who QB's our team but that won't stop 8 page threads bagging on Derrick Thompson this September.

Rick

[MeanGreenTexan]

Right, they are his reasons...just like it's his to decide on who QB's our team but that won't stop 8 page threads bagging on Derrick Thompson this September.

Rick

True! ...Well, hopefully not true.

[KRAM1]

Its an opinion board and I've never been shy to offer one even when it sometimes made me a temporary whipping post or worse straining prior friendships, but if we don't cater to those who are needed to fill Apogee Stadium then just who is getting catered to and moreso.....why? In any industry, if one has an inflated ego of self worth, then that one needs to also have a long list of accomplishments to back up that ego and in college athletics the main accomplishment of winning is at the top of the list. Not just at North Texas, but in the sports business there is never a shortage of egos. I defer to Dallas Cowboy's "General Manager" Jerry Jones for starters. Sometimes egos even get in the way of eventual success. Some sports scribes believe that ego thing fits Jerry Jones to the tee.

We've all been in jobs that require good to excellent customer service skills and without that basic trait, you are not going to have many customers and worse, you are not going to have repeat customers (which is what UNT must have to succeed)

Almost Made Me Blush:

I went up to UNT a couple weeks ago with a Mean Green friend, met a few others at the Apogee Ticket Office, rejoined the Mean Green Club along with a purchase of season tickets then we all went to the Ranchmen's Steakhouse in Ponder for lunch. The first thing I noticed once inside the Apogee Ticket Office was how so darn nice and accommodating A.J. and the other tickets dept. employees were; in fact, the attention they gave my fellow alums and me almost made me, uh, blush?

Then.....in a light rain, A.J. of the Ticket Office in full 3 piece business suit didn't flinch or worry about getting wet and took me outside to show me first hand some great seats for my giving level. When you are made to feel important even though your not a million dollar contributor (this alum still waiting to win the lottery) then you start feeling good about being all things Mean Green again no matter previous season's records and for me, a cause I've believed in since 1973.

GMG!

Plus 1 for you Sir. Thanks for coming back to the fold and re-joining the Mean Green Club and purchasing season tickets. This is music to my ears as I am sure it is to a lot of people. And, thanks, too for pointing out the great job being done by our UNT staffers.

[KRAM1]

Just from my personal observations and as one who does not care much about watching practice...any practices for any sport...yes, even soccer....

When I have attended practice sessions last year and the year before at UNT (once each season I might add here for clarification purposes...and those two were the first and only times I have attended a practice session and it was because I was invited by someone else who was attending), I observed no more than 30-40 folks I would say were not staffers or other employees and at least 20 of the 30-40 were relatives of players. have no clue if that is the "normal number", but it was about the same for both practices I attended. I believe both were announced as "open" practices ahead of time as I know I had no sort of "special permission" to attend.

Just my personal observation.

[FirefightnRick]

I do think it would be cool to do a fall practice event (real practice) for fans. But Mac doesn't want that, so that is what it will be for now.

Your argument here, though, falls short in one major way. The teams wins and loses based on personnel decisions by the coach, especially QB. Games are not won based upon if fans can watch and open practice.

Of course they are not won based on fans watching a practice. I have NEVER claimed such a thing and have no idea where you got that from?

Rick

[FirefightnRick]

The only reason I brought it up was because you said that practices being open and the starting QB were both Mac's decision. I was just pointing out that it was more justified for there to be an 8 page thread on the QB decision because that one actually impacts wins and losses.

By extension, we get more fans from Ws than open practices. That is all.

I said they are his reasons..( to close practice,.. not open them).

I think if people want to discuss a subject, and do so, then it's "Justified".

And I've never compared number of fans our program would attract with wins...to number of fans we would attract with open practices. Apples and Screwdrivers. Nothing compares to wins.

Rick

Edited August 11, 2013 by FirefightnRick