The Alumni

MeanGreenTexan · September 12, 2014

Here's a secret I will tell you that I've only told those closest to me and, when drunk, to total strangers.

In the 1993/94 time period, I was still a strapping young buck at North Texas, rutting away at Rick's Place, Otay's, Riprocks, and The Flying Tomato. One of my classmates back then was Dallas Cowboy LB Robert Jones' wife, Maneesha. We talked about football and whatnot before classes.

But, now looky here, they've both got sons who are playing college football now, but not at North Texas. And, if you happen to see the Jones' on twitter or facebook, it's still the back home team they support - East Carolina.

Okay? You know what I mean?

Now, not everyone who went to North Texas was a married to Robert Jones. That's not what I'm trying to say.

But, what I am trying to say is that there was a certain time frame where NTSU/UNT was the cheapest local university for people to obtain their degrees. And, because the North Texas area has been a magnet for people leaving/freed from scum-ridden union/liberal states, there were many student back then who went to NTSU/UNT based on price/location, but kept their old back home/family allegiances.

I don't like it any more than you do. But, unfortunately, those people were the bulk of UNT students back then...and, they are now in the 35-50+ age bracket that should be spending. They aren't from Texas, never were NTSU/UNT fans, and never will be. Those people are not going to come to UNT games...ever.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry someone has to say it out loud and confront you with an awful truth.

Please don't kick your dog, though. And, drink responsibly.

So sad, but so true. This was occurring in the early 2000's while I was on campus as well. I only think it started changing when Dodge got here.

rcade · September 12, 2014

Here's a secret I will tell you that I've only told those closest to me and, when drunk, to total strangers.

In the 1993/94 time period, I was still a strapping young buck at North Texas, rutting away at Rick's Place, Otay's, Riprocks, and The Flying Tomato.

You were rutting at the Flying Tomato? I'm glad I wasn't there on those nights. That's something I could never unsee.

rws69 · September 12, 2014

I kept telling myself up until almost halftime that the alumni side was so empty because it was a Thursday game and people had to get to Denton after work.
I hope I was right.

I signed up to be a volunteer representative for the Mean Green Club this past season. We each were given a list of current MGC members plus some who had been members anytime the past three years. The lists also had football ticket buyers who were not MGC members. I worked my entire list, but the response was very poor other than from current members. Please don't take this as looking for thanks, but rather to let you know there is an effort to contact past members and recent football ticket buyers; and I honestly cannot say how much success the other reps had. Even if most worked their lists, my experience shows that we need something else to get their interest. Since phone calls and letters are not answered, I do not any feedback to share.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · September 12, 2014

You were rutting at the Flying Tomato? I'm glad I wasn't there on those nights. That's something I could never unsee.

Come one, dude. You're telling me that you only went to The Flying Tomato to "study" and play the hip and ultranew-for-its-time CD juke box?

I don't know what rules you were playing by, but it was okay to hit on girls who were "studying" over a pitcher (or two or three) of beer with you at TFT.

Plus, if you were a good "studier," you didn't have to wait until Rick's or Otay's opened to get your groove on:

Edited September 12, 2014 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

rcade · September 12, 2014

Come one, dude. You're telling me that you only went to The Flying Tomato to "study" and play the hip and ultranew-for-its-time CD juke box?

I don't know what rules you were playing by, but it was okay to hit on girls who were "studying" over a pitcher (or two or three) of beer with you at TFT.

I was living with my future wife by then. She wouldn't let me hit on girls.

I went to Flying Tomato to eat slightly overrated pizza and play Cyberball 2072.

Christopher Walker · September 12, 2014

Hey Ryan,

Sorry I didn't realize that you were getting paid. I'm glad you're getting compensated and you should be earning a lot more.

That season ticket commercial isn't anywhere near Old Hat's best work, I was kind of perplexed they allowed that to go out. The stadium animation looked cheap and amateurish. It looked like the original stadium renderings from 2000 or whenever. Plus, the shots of old dudes standing around (sorry Chris Walker, dig the beard though) wouldn't make anybody want to come out to a game. That commercial isn't going to cut it in an area where the pro sports teams come out with some really good ads. It's not a money thing, they just think outside of the voice of god yelling to come out to games box.

I cringe every time I see that commercial. There were way better takes of us actually being enthusiastic rather than loafing around.

I cringe. Hard. Every time.

Christopher Walker · September 12, 2014

Oh, and to hell with those trying to blame music and arts people for this.

You absolutely have no idea what you are talking about and are simply reaffirming that your opinion is sh*t.

Cerebus · September 12, 2014

I went to Flying Tomato to eat slightly overrated pizza and play Cyberball 2072.

I demand satisfaction. Have your second contact mine to iron out the duel details.

7travis5 · September 12, 2014

I'm just going to be honest. After last night, I don't think any of us believe that this team is a bowl-bound team. Now if DW gets some playing time and can turn things around, then that might change. Maybe we'll win 6 games, maybe we won't.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Why does this team deserve a sell-out crowd?

Last year's bowl turnout was deserved, and from what I've heard about the pre-Dodge days, the team was somewhat competitive so the turnout was usually deserved.

Last night's team deserved a 16,000 stadium.

HoustonEagle · September 12, 2014

Here's what I think, when I'm thinking about it:

(1) Everyone who went to North Texas knows North Texas has a football team.

(2) Everyone who lives in Texas knows its football season.

Therefore,

(3) Everyone who is a North Texas graduate and a football fan knows that tickets are available to go watch the North Texas football team.

You all are saying winning will bring people in, cash and prizes will bring people in, Brock Berglund II playing QB will bring people in...

...but, the truth is, we have won before, and it didn't bring people in.

...they've marketed every which way but loose, and it didn't bring people in.

...we've had record-breaking/exciting players before, and it didn't bring people in.

You have to someday accept that we all went to a school where most of the current alumni didn't give a rip about football, and still don't.

We (and by we, I mean you, not me) are confused by it because we like football and North Texas. But, We (and by we, I mean you, not me) need to understand that not everyone who sat beside us in our UNT (or NTSU) classrooms for four or five years cares about UNT football.

So, what to do?

Well, Dead Bob Marley say move to Colorado and smoke some marijuana. It's just as big of a waste of time and money as trying to figure out how to reach the alumni who went to NTSU/UNT when it was a commuter school and 75% of the people showed up to class with Texas A&M, Texas, and OU hats and t-shirts on day after day, week after week, year after year whilst the football teams pissed around in the Southland Conference.

Don't bogart!

The truth is our attendance is pretty much in-line with our peers and level of play. The top G5 programs, by attendance, are all in areas where there is little competition for the entertainment dollar. That is not to say we should not strive for better. But, there is not a magical promotion that is going to bring in another 5k fans for a level of competition they don't care about. This just means attendance growth will have to come from a culture of winning and pushing to compete at the highest level. I would wager that if you gave away free GA tickets for every game this season you would not average an additional one thousand fans.

Here are the regular season home attendance averages for each C-USA team in 2013:

• East Carolina (43,985);

• UTSA (29,214);

• UTEP (28,375);

• Marshall (25,023);

• Southern Miss (22,752);

• North Texas (21,030);

• Tulsa (19,893);

• Tulane (19,747);

• Middle Tennessee (18,715);

• Louisiana Tech (18,666);

• Rice (18,493);

• Florida International (15,453);

• Florida Atlantic (14,552);

• Alabama-Birmingham (10,548).

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2013/12/utsa-among-attendance-leaders-in-its.html?page=all

MeanGreenD · September 12, 2014

Just to bring some positivity to this thread as a UNT Alumni, I had a great time last night. Special day, tough game, but always grateful to be surrounded by #MeanGreenFamily

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNTAlumni?src=hash">#UNTAlumni</a> please come Saturday. Every Mean Green Gameday you miss is a day you can't get back. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNT?src=hash">#UNT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GMG?src=hash">#GMG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hit30K?src=hash">#Hit30K</a> <a href="http://t.co/gD5mV1By9i">pic.twitter.com/gD5mV1By9i</a></p>— #MeanGreenMan (@MeanGreenMan23) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeanGreenMan23/status/510484073501184000">September 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Badger's Mom:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>“<a href="https://twitter.com/mitzibob">@mitzibob</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/MeanGreenMan23">@MeanGreenMan23</a> thanks for the support! <a href="http://t.co/xUcTk3hH2d">pic.twitter.com/xUcTk3hH2d</a>”</p>— #MeanGreenMan (@MeanGreenMan23) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeanGreenMan23/status/510457794513088513">September 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Cutest member of the #MeanGreenFamily

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>“<a href="https://twitter.com/UNTCompliments">@UNTCompliments</a>: Quote this with a photo of you at the game or tailgating! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoMeanGreen?src=hash">#GoMeanGreen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeatLaTech?src=hash">#BeatLaTech</a>” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoMeanGreen?src=hash">#GoMeanGreen</a> <a href="http://t.co/Bi0F680B1x">pic.twitter.com/Bi0F680B1x</a></p>— #MeanGreenMan (@MeanGreenMan23) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeanGreenMan23/status/510426436977827840">September 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
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MeanGreenTexan · September 12, 2014

I appreciated The Tomato for what it was. Excellent priced, deep-dish, pan pizza.

http://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/EAtdpksdWfWAaqh3XdnNNg/l.jpg

However, I'm a thin crust pie guy myself (as I imagine rcade to be), so I'd rather go the extra few blocks to the square for some J&J's.

http://s3-media1.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/nHLTBm9LcnAE0SHwjm4VSQ/l.jpg

EDIT: By the way... these are pics from yelp! for each restaurant, granted, the Tomato pic is from their recently re-opened-then-re-closed Sanger location.

TheRiojas_AD · September 12, 2014

I can understand your sentiments. By the same token, there are a number of things that are probably keeping people from the games. We've discussed these at length in other threads.

My thoughts on Thursday are as follows: ONE: Its a Thursday. TWO: opponent. THREE: Ticket pricing and options.

Now I'll be the first to say that I believe that we get an extremely good value for our money at UNT. But honestly, that's owed to us given the level of competitiveness we've had and the product on the field we've been subjected to over the years.

There are allot of young families who just don't want to go. Pricing, convenience, whatever. My brother in-law used to be a faithful attender. (He's also a UNT employee) but He nearly crapped his pants once he saw the ticket pricing. Granted he's a tightwad like the rest of my in-laws, but you catch the idea.

I'll add this: I'm a MG Club member, "recent" alumni, season ticket holder ( for 3 years straight now)... and I don't get emails either which is strange.

Maybe one of the most difficult things for the marketing team is that they are passing all the actual work onto their Interns instead of getting out there and taking some ownership in the organization they represent.

Working for UNT Athletics Mktg should require a degree from UNT maybe?

Edited September 12, 2014 by TheRiojas_AD

MeanGreenD · September 12, 2014

I can understand your sentiments. By the same token, there are a number of things that are probably keeping people from the games. We've discussed these at length in other threads.

My thoughts on Thursday are as follows: ONE: Its a Thursday. TWO: opponent. THREE: Ticket pricing and options.

Now I'll be the first to say that I believe that we get an extremely good value for our money at UNT. But honestly, that's owed to us given the level of competitiveness we've had and the product on the field we've been subjected to over the years.

There are allot of young families who just don't want to go. Pricing, convenience, whatever. My brother in-law used to be a faithful attender. (He's also a UNT employee) but He nearly crapped his pants once he saw the ticket pricing. Granted he's a tightwad like the rest of my in-laws, but you catch the idea.

I'll add this: I'm a MG Club member, "recent" alumni, season ticket holder ( for 3 years straight now)... and I don't get emails either which is strange.

Maybe one of the most difficult things for the marketing team is that they are passing all the actual work onto their Interns instead of getting out there and taking some ownership in the organization they represent.

Working for UNT Athletics Mktg should require a degree from UNT maybe?

I have a degree in Marketing from UNT...I also have an MBA in Marketing...#HireMeanGreenMan

oldguystudent · September 12, 2014

Oh, and to hell with those trying to blame music and arts people for this.

What's with you music people, what with your agro involvement in the alumni association, your season tickets, your travels to every road game, your patronage of the best bars John Williams has to offer, your directions to guests as to where to find the best bloody marys among the mind boggling labyrinth of tailgating tents, your magnificent green pants, and your impenetrable beards?

I mean really. Everything that's wrong with Denton, its dirty homoerotic cops cohabitating with promiscuous judges, the age of the residents of Denia, the windmills, Tony Benford, the available flavors of stadium beer, band members out of uniform, Willie Nelson once referencing Fry Street as a great place to buy pot, the burning of The Tomato, Kerr Hall, the shade of green worn by out of touch alumni as they traverse across the Lake Lewisville bridge for the first time in decades only to be met by a hostile crowd of big fish in tiny ponds pointing fingers and sneering. It's all you, music school people.

I toot my horn in your general direction.

UNTDoubleAlum · September 12, 2014

What's with you music people, what with your agro involvement in the alumni association, your season tickets, your travels to every road game, your patronage of the best bars John Williams has to offer, your directions to guests as to where to find the best bloody marys among the mind boggling labyrinth of tailgating tents, your magnificent green pants, and your impenetrable beards?
I mean really. Everything that's wrong with Denton, its dirty homoerotic cops cohabitating with promiscuous judges, the age of the residents of Denia, the windmills, Tony Benford, the available flavors of stadium beer, band members out of uniform, Willie Nelson once referencing Fry Street as a great place to buy pot, the burning of The Tomato, Kerr Hall, the shade of green worn by out of touch alumni as they traverse across the Lake Lewisville bridge for the first time in decades only to be met by a hostile crowd of big fish in tiny ponds pointing fingers and sneering. It's all you, music school people.
I toot my horn in your general direction.

Did you just say that Kerr Hall was something wrong with Denton? I will straight up challenge you to an honor duel.

Green Mean · September 12, 2014

Working for UNT Athletics Mktg should require a degree from UNT maybe?

It doesn't matter if they have a degree from UNT or even have a degree at all. As long as that someone is a marketing guru and takes ownership of outreach then that is all that matters.

TheRiojas_AD · September 12, 2014

I'll say that it does take a degree. That's my professional opinion. But that's neither here nor there..

I was making a connection with a UNT Alum+Fan=Effective marketer.

Like Mean Green Man interjected above, its obvious he has marketing qualifications=superfan status. Can you imagine HIM doing marketing for UNT? It be great.

Edited September 12, 2014 by TheRiojas_AD

rcade · September 12, 2014

However, I'm a thin crust pie guy myself (as I imagine rcade to be) ...

You imagine correctly. The perfect slice of pizza was a New York-style thin crust at Dino's in Richardson Square Mall.

Quoner · September 12, 2014

Social media is not, and never should be, a strategy (it's a tool, like most of you)...yet here we are, asking the same questions, year after year.

MeanGreenTexan · September 12, 2014

Ah, I think I see... you like bread. A LOT. Does your ideal personal pizza start with this much dough?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4alP-GsbfSI/TL0tfeKbmKI/AAAAAAAAAzs/TbZiL9lbNbg/s1600/Dough+at+Mission+Pie.JPG

UNTexas · September 12, 2014

Come one, dude. You're telling me that you only went to The Flying Tomato to "study" and play the hip and ultranew-for-its-time CD juke box?

I don't know what rules you were playing by, but it was okay to hit on girls who were "studying" over a pitcher (or two or three) of beer with you at TFT.

Plus, if you were a good "studier," you didn't have to wait until Rick's or Otay's opened to get your groove on:

I totally forgot about Otays. I was never a fan of it. I was a Tavern man myself. I don't recall drinking at the Flying Tomato but I ate there all the time. The State Club had good food too. Awesome chicken strips. I miss the Texas Pickup.

James329 · September 12, 2014

I have bought tickets and attended a few games each year since Apogee opened. I never get emails. I am an alum and I never get emails. I bought a HOD helmet. I was never asked about tickets. They simply don't do enough. I bought season tickets on my own with no help from anyone.

TheRiojas_AD · September 12, 2014

Same here

I have bought tickets and attended a few games each year since Apogee opened. I never get emails. I am an alum and I never get emails. I bought a HOD helmet. I was never asked about tickets. They simply don't do enough. I bought season tickets on my own with no help from anyone.

GrandGreen · September 13, 2014

From someone who has been to more NT games than 95% of you, I will chime in. It is not a matter of ticket price, it is already one of the cheapest tickets around. There is also an income factor to be considered, giving away or cheap tickets doesn't really always excite the fans who do financially support the program. Forget that those donation requirements that some want to do away with actually do raise money. It is also not a matter of promotions, they may work for a game but really don't sustain interest and attract a significant number of new fans. It is not even the opponent; SMU should have brought in as many NT fans as any oc foe.

I never thought Apogee would greatly increase attendance or beer sales. The funny thing is that the most impressed I have ever been with fan support has been at away contests, NT took a ton of people to Austin the first few times NT played there, I thought all the NO Bowl games were supported well by NT and last year the Bowl game was great. But generally home games are always disappointing with only a few exceptions.

NT has always been out of the elite circle of teams in Texas and doesn't have the newness of the Texas Twins. Winning helps but not that much; Fry left because of lack of support, Dickey's four straight Belt championships didn't garner a lot of fan interest. Last year was as good as it has been; and NT didn't get close to a sell out.

NT also suffers from way too much local live competition, as well as the ever present tv which now shows about every game. In general every G5 and some P5 suffer from poor attendance that are located in big city environments.

I don't have any answers but continue to grow the program. I am past the point of being concerned with the constant emphasis on attendance usually by fans of other schools that suffer the same problems. This alumni versus student thing is just stupid. You can't force people to come to games. The culture as some coach is fond of saying has to change and it going to be a long struggle that may never succeed.

Edited September 13, 2014 by GrandGreen