Pretty strong statement from McCarney on attendance

[Harry]

One of the more interesting comments from Dan McCarney today was on attendance at home games.

Hence, I led my notebook with it. I wont spoil the whole story, but here is a part of the statement:

We need our fans, McCarney said. Its easy to say, Win, Mac; Win, North Texas; Go win, but Im not coming to the game this week. How about come to the stadium, help support us, and together lets keep moving forward with this program? That is what Im asking, and I dont think its too much to ask. We have 100,000 graduates right down the road in Dallas and Fort Worth. We need to start getting those people who dont come to games to support us.

Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/10/pretty-strong-statement-from-mccarney-on-attendance.html/

[TheTastyGreek]

Sure, we would like to have better attendance. But you have to keep accentuating the positives. Keep moving forward. We can't act like we are in a funeral parlor around here. But if you haven't noticed the improvement in this program's attendance over the last couple of years your eyes are closed.

[KRAM1]

Sure, we would like to have better attendance. But you have to keep accentuating the positives. Keep moving forward. We can't act like we are in a funeral parlor around here. But if you haven't noticed the improvement in this program's attendance over the last couple of years your eyes are closed.

Might want to give credit to the guy who actually made that final part of your paraphrased statement...in all fairness and all. Then everyone who did not hear the show will be able to pick up on your sarcasm.

[UNTLifer]

I agree with Mac.

[untlynchka1]

I'd like to agree with Mac, but you know what? I show up to every game so do most of us on here, but don't ask for our fans to show up unless you are winning.

Sorry, but don't call a lame ass, overly conservative, not trying to win gameplan for the first half of a game against Tulane, and then tell fans they need to show up for us to win.

Show us you are willing to win all games at all costs. Then ask those that are fringe fans to show up.

I don't serve good food 1/2 of the time then ask people to come to my restaurant.

Sorry. Just tired of hearing them asking for support. Freakin earn it.

[All About UNT]

Tulane's fans barely showed up....and they won. Quit the misdirection

[jdennis82]

I like Mac's stance that support of the program is a "partnership" but I wonder if (outside of winning) a more effective appeal would be to ask fans/alumni to "partner with the staff in supporting these young men who give of themselves to represent YOUR alma mater in a public medium that you can't yourself..."

[aztecskin]

People who make excuses for not coming will continue to make excuses. I'm more concerned about student attendance than alumni numbers. While there are obviously a great bunch of people that graduated that are great program supporters, there are an inordinate number of apathetic people that root fully for Big 12 schools and only will ever give a passing glance our way when it is cool to do so. I'm sure you know one or two in your circle.

[NorthTexan95]

Tulane's fans barely showed up....and they won. Quit the misdirection

I wonder if it's not the game but recruiting. Perhaps they hear a lot of negative about attendance from some they are recruiting.

[MeanMag]

The people listening to what he is saying on a weekly coaches show are not the people to be begging to attend. It's the people not listening that need coach Mac and the team to make them sit up and pay attention by winning. I bring as many people as I can that I think would enjoy the game.

Factors to the enjoyment of the game for a non coaches show listener:

- A blow out win for NT

- A close win for NT

- A competitive game between NT and a recognizable opponent

- Good weather (100+ deg is miserable for a lot of non die hards, I left a TCU game early this year - It was easy- they were playing like crap against a d1aa school, it was hot and uninteresting.)

- Friends at the game

[oldguystudent]

Cue the Jim Leavitt/Mike Leach/Dennis Franchione hind sight wish list debate in 3...2...1..

And don't forget. This was Jim Harbaugh's dream job.

I, for one, vote for Rusty Greer as our new head coach.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Did he see the SMU attendance on TV this weekend..... awful.

[LongJim]

Either people believe in what the current staff is trying to do, or they don't. It's really that simple. Excuses are excuses. Everyone involved has to shit or git. It will save people time, and a lot of blood pressure issues.

[MeanGreenHoops]

It's too bad that now coach does what we hear from RV sometimes, and that's berating the best fans we have about coming to games. I've heard RV do this as well at special events like the CUSA announcement, where he starts telling us that the excuses are over and we need to support our team. This to the small hardcore group of fans that do support the team. It always struck me as weird. And if Coach Mac thinks anyone is listening to the coaches show that doesn't already go to games, he's incorrect.

He's right and RV are right though, need to figure out a way to get alumni, and students to come to games. But that's not our job as fans, that's his and the school's job. Not saying it's easy, and I think they've done some things well by connecting with them students, but not losing to terrible Tulane would help. Also, any kind of promotion on campus would help.

[UNT90]

Hey coach, how about giving your faithful fans a little help? We all try to get people interested and bring them to games. Guess what? Alumni who are very casual fans won't come if you don't win. I know. I've tried. A lot. At my own expense.

As a matter of fact, I'm trying again this weekend.

So kindly get off my ass and do your part. Win some F'n football games.

[Cerebus]

Coming into the MTSU game with a winning record would have helped attendance. I guess those fans that don't show up are probably the same people who torpedoed the Tulane game by having an awful first half game plan.

[oldguystudent]

Hey coach, how about giving your faithful fans a little help? We all try to get people interested and bring them to games. Guess what? Alumni who are very casual fans won't come if you don't win. I know. I've tried. A lot. At my own expense.

As a matter of fact, I'm trying again this weekend.

So kindly get off my ass and do your part. Win some F'n football games.

It's been really easy for me to get people to come tailgate. Who doesn't love an afternoon of free food and booze?

Getting people to actually enter the stadium? If I've got extra club seats, again, not too difficult. Who doesn't love a free buffet and a stadium bar?

Getting people to actually enter the stadium in the lower bowl with paid concessions, no beer, and a losing team playing against people they've never heard of? I've yet to succeed at this one.

I should reiterate here that to the casual fan unfamiliar with college sports, the concept of no beer inside the stadium is a very, very strange concept, and a deal breaker for many.

[KRAM1]

I believe Mac said "we need you help" in building something at Apogee as well. Mac was not blaming anyone, Mac was asking for your help. He knows the folks listening to that show and attending in person are the ones who, for the most part, do show up win, lose or draw. He was pleading for help from those fans...and others. It is a big part of a program's job to sell tickets and fill the stadium. If a HC does that in every venue by asking for folks to come and letting it be know that he wants help, OK by me. I honed in on the "I need your help part". Perhaps he is as frustrated with a certain element of our fan base as several others of us are, maybe he has a point.

[KRAM1]

Coming into the MTSU game with a winning record would have helped attendance. I guess those fans that don't show up are probably the same people who torpedoed the Tulane game by having an awful first half game plan.

Darn passive aggressive stuff from you again...really getting tired of that from you all the time!

Wink...wink...it's a joke folks....wink...wink! If Cerebus has even a small sense of humor...he gets it!

[UNT90]

It's been really easy for me to get people to come tailgate. Who doesn't love an afternoon of free food and booze?

Getting people to actually enter the stadium? If I've got extra club seats, again, not too difficult. Who doesn't love a free buffet and a stadium bar?

Getting people to actually enter the stadium in the lower bowl with paid concessions, no beer, and a losing team playing against people they've never heard of? I've yet to succeed at this one.

I should reiterate here that to the casual fan unfamiliar with college sports, the concept of no beer inside the stadium is a very, very strange concept, and a deal breaker for many.

Bring 2 people this weekend that could contribute at the club level or above. Spending my own money to get extra club seats.

A win at Tulane, a team we should have beat, would have REALLY helped, coach.

[akriesman]

I should reiterate here that to the casual fan unfamiliar with college sports, the concept of no beer inside the stadium is a very, very strange concept, and a deal breaker for many.

I have run into this several times. Lifelong fans of college sports understand the no beer ban. But, the general sports public does not. And, it is definitely a deal breaker for many that would consider attending a game to see what it is about.

[KRAM1]

I have run into this several times. Lifelong fans of college sports understand the no beer ban. But, the general sports public does not. And, it is definitely a deal breaker for many that would consider attending a game to see what it is about.

Yep! Bring on the beer sales at Apogee! But, it sure has not done anything to fill up the Club Section 100%. If it were all about beer sales there would be standing room only in the Club area. There is not...not yet at least.

So...come on folks...get on the same wave length here and get beer sales at Apogee approved ASAP. Unfortunately, I doubt that it significantly improves attendance. There is always another reason/excuse to be had, but it will sure please those who do attend and perhaps bring a few more from time to time. All good in my book....Cheers!

[meangreener]

I feel his frustration and wouldn't be surprised to see Mac end up leaving out if attendance frustration. Sounded like he was in a bad mood. I'm tired of half-full stadiums but it certainly doesn't seem like RV or UNT as a whole cares.

[Harry]

Bottom line -- instead of heading into a home game with a winning record we have a losing one. So yes he is frustrated as are we.

I appreciate him reaching out to the diehards for help but I also wish he knew how most of us do everything we can to get people out there. I personally don't like being grouped in with the apathetic alums his message seems to be directed to.

And yes - it would be a whole lot easier if we were selling a team with a winning record this week. We took the huge momentum gained from the Georgia performance and flushed it down the toilet in New Orleans. The younger fan I was with pointed out that on the FOUR trips we had taken together we (UNT) were 0-4 (Miami-FIU, Hot Springs, Houston and Tulane).

Mac isn't going to quit and neither are our diehard fans. We know the solution is winning ball games and especially ones that you should win.

That said, a victory against MUTS this Saturday would help things out a LOT! GMG!

[Stan R]

Frustration like this coming from Mac is a bad omen. Coach Mac seems to me to be a pretty hard-core dude that doesn't suffer fools and doesn't like to complain. So what is the point of this preaching to the choir?