gangrene

I just found an old post from RV that addresses a few of the suggestions I've made in this thread. While I'd guess most of the post was likely relating to basketball, I think it's relative to football as well and I'd like to discuss a few of his comments. I do fall into the category of those not residing in Denton so, no, I don't see any of those promotional items mentioned here. However, I do live in Carrollton (Denton County) and my drive from Fouts Field is a whopping 27 minutes with no traffic (just timed it the other day). If I continue down I-35 to downtown Dallas, I can reach just about any suburb within an hour. No ifs, ands or buts about it, we HAVE to expand our marketing universe outside of the Denton city limits!!! I have no idea what your advertising budget is but I'm quite certain an affordable and efficient media plan could be developed to measurably increase awareness in the DFW metroplex. You are right on target that the best marketing tool is the gameday experience and the entertainment value fans receive for their dollar. The family packages are indeed a great deal. But if people don't know what a great value it is, how can we expect them to attend? We need to get the message out and there are plenty of affordable ways to do just that. We have great advertising and RTVF programs that could offer free suggestions/ideas/campaigns as class projects and I'd gladly volunteer my services. There's no reason why the athletic department or the university should be paying a penny for the promotional items quoted above. I'll reiterate that those costs should come directly from the corporate sponsors in exchange for a logo on the product. Some of those items/events are good and some are not (I'm being kind). I'm sure everyone will agree that UNT is easy enough to find without the benefit of directional assistance. Spotlights are definitely NOT the answer...we're not a nightclub. Pardon me for being redundant but, again, it doesn't sound like we have a firm grasp on how to generate revenue from corporate sponsorships. This is also a case of which comes first...if we spend our money to get more paying customers then we'll essentially recoup our expenditures. But if we wait until we have that steady stream of paying customers, it could be an awfully long wait.

Mean'n'Green07 - first of all, shame on you for copying a thread you read on SMU's website. (My apologies if you didn't, but it sure would be a big coincidence.) My real purpose in this post was to point out our overwhelming popularity in SMU's "Dream OOC matchups" thread: http://www.ponyfans.com/msgboard/index1.asp For a bunch of egotistical asses (CalallenStang excluded because he seems like an alright Pony, if there is such a thing) who claim that they could care less about playing North Texas and dismiss us as a non-rival, we sure show up on quite a few members' dream lists.

I was about to post a similar response...thinking about lowering my over/under to 5 wins. Although discouraging, thanks for the update Emmitt. SIX snapping fumbles, practice or not, is ridiculous, especially since our QB position is virtually undetermined and we may have to use two or more per game, until one clearly separates himself from the pack. Were these fumbles ALL with the same center and QB or was it compounded by multiple rotations??

I'd like to see a home and home with OU, especially if we wind up getting Bomar and Quinn. Let's not forget the success we've had out in Lubbock. Speaking of...whatever happened to our option of using Texas Stadium to lure in big opponents?? We hosted Tech and A & M there a few years ago. It's not my number one choice for home games but it sure beats driving to Lubbock, College Station or Austin. We're bound to see more revenue share from a home game at Texas Stadium then we do from an away game aren't we? I'd also like to see home and homes scheduled with some of the other Texas teams already mentioned - SMU, TCU, Houston, etc...but I'd like to tie something up for a longer period of time than 3 years. We can't build a rivalry with anybody if we don't play them EVERY year. Dream teams coming to Denton (since that's bascially the subject of this thread): Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, Ohio State, Michigan, UCLA, Nebraska, Arkansas (they travel well), Florida State, Florida, Miami...well, I think that's enough to get my vision out there. Maybe one of my great grandchildren (and, I'm expecting my first child this January) will see one of those teams come to Denton before they die.

Well, you hit the nail on the head. I wanted honest, realistic expectations without UNT biases. But the key word there is expectations not predictions. We lost 5 SBC games by a grand total of 21 points. Hypothetically speaking, if we were just four points per game better last year, we would have only lost 2 SBC games...eight more points and we would have been back in the NO Bowl with an undefeated SBC record. My point is that our poor record may not have been a good indicator of our team's capabilities and I think everyone will agree that last year's team did not meet expectations. Likewise, I doubt if winning only two games again this year would meet anyone's expectations.

SE, I can't speak for BG64 but I interpretted his comment to be directed more at the football teams success. We can bring in the Ringling Brothers every Saturday but nothing will have a more direct impact on attendance than winning.

Yes!! Theoretically, the revenue generated from corporate advertising sales should be more than enough to fund a marketing department and promotional items while providing additional funding to the athletic programs. However, as with any business venture, it could turn into a money pit if managed incorrectly. There are a few blatant issues I see with developing corporate partnerships: 1. Mean Green Radio Network - includes what, 3 stations right now? We need to develop a true state-wide radio network with at least 10 stations strategically located throughout the state. This broadens the appeal to advertisers from local (Denton businesses) to regional (Texas, Southern OK, Western AR, etc) to national (you name it - Budweiser, Gatorade, Coca Cola, Cingular, Ford, etc). Broadcasting Mean Green football to more markets would also generate more fans and assist in recruiting efforts. 2. Fouts Field isn't the friendliest venue for advertising...but it is possible to build or improve what we currently have. Personally, I don't feel the plastic signs in the endzone are very desirable, but corporate logos can be tactfully worked into the stadium in other areas. More permanent stadium signage can be built into railings within the seating areas without detracting from the appearance of the stadium or obstructing fans' views. I know we already do some of this, but the Jumbotron video screen and PA announcements are easy to include for short, non-intrusive messages such as "This instant replay presented by XYZ..." Advertisers could also distribute literature to fans upon entry/exit or place them within the reserved seating areas. Again, this can be done very tactfully so as not to appear intrusive to fans and detract from the overall experience. Displays for automotive, boat or other advertisers desiring product placement, can be positioned at one or more gates just outside the stadium. I can't recall if we have closed circuit televisions in the concession areas or not (sorry, last season is ancient history to me and I frequent many athletic venues), but that's an easy, relatively inexpensive addition that needs to be done too. It allows advertisers to show their regular TV spots during time-outs/half-time while allowing fans to purchase concession items without missing a key play. And so much more can be done with our cheesy half-time contests. The last one I remember was a free month's rent at a local apartment complex for kicking a 35-yard field goal. 3. Hospitality - unfortunately there's not a whole lot we can do here until we put a winning product on the field that busy professionals (non-UNT grads) will want to interrupt their weekend to see. But this is something that needs to be considered NOW, before any plans for a new stadium are finalized. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone but, corporate sponsors love to be boozed and schmoozed. We need at least a few corporate suites and/or meeting places in the new stadium. I know we have corporate tents now and those would actually suffice if we could attract quality opponents (again, those that merit interest from non-UNT grads) to Fouts Field. UT's DKR does a fine job with their hospitality and corporate tents, which are very similar to ours. I know it's probably hard to believe but, ironically, I have not been a huge proponent of corporate sponsorships because I believe they place unnecessary hardship on the average fan. For an extreme example let's take the Super Bowl. "Ordinary" fans are virtually shut out when it comes to buying tickets unless they pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a scalper. One major reason is because the number of available tickets is dramatically decreased due to the commitments made to corporate sponsors. Another example is last season's Dallas Mavericks playoffs - tickets were in short supply. But these would be nice problems have at UNT and I can't argue with the success that sports franchises have enjoyed due to corporate sponsorships. Are we planning to sell the naming rights to the new stadium?? Sorry for the extra long post but this is something I feel merits strong consideration.

I appreciate the updates and I'm regretful that I missed the impromptu Q/A session. I have no questions about your three key topics. The Texas Bowl and SBC issues are what they are. I understand and agree with the rationale by all parties. I'll have to accept your response on the football stadium and realize that you have a firm grasp on what it means to the future of UNT athletics. I also understand that spending millions of dollars to fund a new stadium without the assurance that attendance will increase is a risky endeavor, at best. "If you build it, they will come," is a nice thought but it's a line from a Hollywood movie and doesn't necessarily translate to the real world. You have to look no further than UTA to see a prime example of how a new football stadium doesn't necessarily equal instant success for a football program. Those who attend North Texas football games know that we currently enjoy some of the most reasonable ticket and concession prices of any of the 119 NCAA D-I programs. For an extreme comparison, check the concession prices at DKR on 9/2 or any Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks. Simple economics would suggest that increased prices can be expected with a new stadium. While I agree with your assessment of placing the financial burden (in the form of ticket sales/athletic dept. donations) directly on the Mean Green nation, I'd love to see a greater effort put forth in the development of a larger fan base and corporate sponsors. I work in the marketing/advertising field in the DFW metroplex and I've been solicited to sponsor NCAA programs from the majors (UT, LSU and OU) to the mid-majors (Southern Miss, Houston, Rice) to the D-II programs (Southern U, Jackson St., Tennessee St.). Not once, in 11 years, has anyone from UNT ever contacted my clients or my agency regarding a possible sponsorship opportunity or association with Mean Green athletics. I know sponsorship opportunities exist and information can be obtained from the unt.edu website, but is there no marketing dept./person actively pursuing corporate sponsorships/advertising??? I'd also like to see a major increase in the marketing of UNT football and basketball programs to the greater DFW metroplex. I know advertising campaigns are executed on a smaller scale in the Denton area, but there is so much more potential in DFW to grow our fan base. It's true we have to compete with professional franchises and, to a lesser degree, SMU and TCU, but our ticket prices are much more palatable to the average DFW resident, especially those looking to take the whole family. In addition, discounted tickets could be provided to youth football teams and/or elementary schools as well as area businesses. Promotional items could be given to the younger fans in attendance. There are virtually countless ways in which Mean Green Madness could infect the greater DFW area and grow our fan base to an unprecedented high. Of course will have to field a competitive product to realize our full potential.

Plumm - I think that's the funniest thing I've ever seen you post! Maybe it's because I couldn't agree with you more. Just look at what the suggestion of Bomar's consideration of attending UNT accomplished. Outside of football season, I can't recall the Dallas media mentioning North Texas more times in a single week...well, maybe when that professor was murdered. High school football players consume media too. Knowing that a top recruit, former teammate/opponent is considering or verbally committed to UNT, may entice other top HS recruits to at least consider UNT also. What a concept!!!

Agreed. I was so glad that NT80 provided the translation. I thought maybe Bohman was Diet Coke boy's real name and he had asked his dad to go the local "quickie mart" named "In N Out" and broker a deal to exchange some Mean Green tickets for a couple of cases of Diet Coke.

Bottomline is, I'd love nothing more than to beat the defending national champion Texas Longhorns enroute to an undefeated season and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl but, my friends...THAT just ain't gonna happen. Cracking the Top 25 is less-aspirational but still a very unrealistic expectation for this team. So what should we realistically expect to accomplish this season? Here's my take - based on last season's disappointing results, I would consider this season a success should we accomplish these three goals: 1. Win two of five OOC games (SMU and either LaTech, Tulsa (would love to beat them after last year's ass-thumping) or Akron 2. Win four of six Sunbelt games 3. Finish no worse than a tie for 2nd in the SBC That's 6-6, an increase of four games in the win column, and a 4-2 SBC record could even be good enough to win the SBC and return to the New Orleans Bowl. An additional goal would be to build a solid foundation for the 2007 season so that loftier goals can be achieved in Jamario's last year. I'm not suggesting that we bench starting Seniors in favor of returning underclassmen should the season turn sour (or am I??), but I certainly don't want to repeat a 2-9 or 2-10 season again in 2007 either...certainly not when we're playing in the worst D1 conference in the nation. It was painfully obvious to me that our team was not properly prepared last season. Replacing Quinn and Muzzy will be difficult enough without having to worry about an inexperienced O-line and defense again. While I would love to demand no fewer than three OOC victories and an undefeated SBC run, I learned my lesson last season when I set my expectations too high. Although I feel our schedule is much easier than past seasons (including 2005), a 10-2 or 9-3 season would be a phenomenal accomplishment for the 2006 Mean Green and, as I sip the green kool-aid, I believe 10-2 or 9-3 is possible, although not probable. Anything less than six wins in '06 will be a big disappointment for me and I'd hope to see some DRAMATIC changes in the program moving forward...mainly in the form of coaching philosophy and/or personnel and recruitment techniques. This practice of "stealth recruitment" is absurd. If a national Top 10, although somewhat tarnished, Rhett Bomar would consider UNT, why wouldn't a DMN State Top 100?? But I digress...

What's the latest status on their #1 (Portis). That separated shoulder injury could be a hindrance all season long. I hate Washington more than New England. It's too bad New England doesn't play Denver in the pre-season. Shanahan and staff have excellent recognition of RB talent and they feel they can never have enough RBs on their roster. I really thought Denver might even draft Cobbs, but I guess one Cobbs (Cedric, from Arkansas) is enough for the Broncos.

I like that idea but think it would be best served by utilizing the uncertainty of which QB might start each given week as a psychological strategy against our opponents. It will drive the fans crazy but, if an opponent's defense has to prepare for two very different QB styles in Phillips and Wilson (Meager has similar abilities to both IMO), they might not be as prepared as they would be if a single starter is announced. Of course, for this strategy to have any chance of working, both QBs will need to be effective early on in the season and receive enough PT for opposing coaches to actually believe that the starter is undecided. If we have a repeat of last season's QB performance (most of it anyway), opponents will not care who's behind center as they'll spend every practice working on how to stop our 1st and 2nd down off tackle runs and that ever-so-tricky third down draw.

Based on last year's commitment to the starter, I would suspect that the "QB by committee" scenario is not an option. I will too...right up until that first bone-headed decision that I disagree with!!

That sounds like Jerry Jones trying to rationalize drafting Quincy Carter.

I haven't seen this posted yet, so I'll add today's awesome comments on the Pats web site (hey I guess that really is Pat's team: ) Who’s Hot: Young Running Backs – Pass better hope he’s able to practice soon or he may be out of a job. Maroney was clearly one of the opening weekend’s most impressive rookies. The young back looked like the real deal in Atlanta and he continued to run well Monday during practice. The surprise has been Patrick Cobbs. We’ve noted on here that he’s shown some skills in practice but he blew everyone away with 105 total yards and one spectacular touchdown against the Falcons. Cobbs looks like he may be able to do some of the things Faulk does for the Patriots offense in the future. After two weeks of training camp and one preseason game, the Patriots are sitting pretty at the running back position. You can read the rest of the report here: http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=...d=20466&pcid=44

I, too, will buy a Bomar jersey and I would love to have this kid join the Mean Green. While he did commit pre-meditated infractions, he's certainly no Maurice Clarett. This would definitely be huge for UNT!! And, if he actually lived up to his high school hype, we could reap virtually limitless rewards from his presence in the way of attendance, W/L records and recruiting. What WR wouldn't want to play with the #1 QB recruit in the nation?

Yeah, nice to see even DD didn't vote for us! Can't say I blame him, but coaches vote for their own teams all the time.

It's a partnership station between Comcast and Charter cable companies. http://www.csssports.com/about_us.cfm They are trying to 'grow the station' (see weak attempt at The Best Damn Sports Show) , but we'll have to see how that goes.

DAMN!!!! Why'd you have to go and post all that and get me pissed off again??? I wasn't planning on reading that crap again until mid-August.

Like the site, especially the fact that they have SMU ranked last or next to last in half of the unit categories. But what does it say about their ability to assess talent when their Big XII QB rankings list an inexperienced Texas Tech QB #1 and a QB that has never taken a college snap at Texas ranked #4??

For those of you that claim UNT is a "blue collar" school, maybe these images are how you'd like for others to view UNT graduates??

So, I'll propose that we all show up for the game dressed in our mechanics and plumbers shirts with our names on the front while SMU fans can wear their suits and ties.

Uhh...what's that have to do with the price of tea in China? And who are we supposed to be in your analogy; Florida State, Michigan or Florida?? I'm not sure we have anything in common with any of them, even as it relates to the SMU game. Why not compare our game against SMU to the Michigan-Ohio State game or Texas-OU or OU-Ok. St or UT-A&M. I'll tell you why?? Because those are all established rivalries between two schools that play each other EVERY year. It takes a long time and a lot of commitment from both parties to build a rivalry. While I REALLY want to beat SMU this year, I would be ecstatic if we just lose two games this season...even if one of those two is to SMU.

Tough call...do we, like TCU, end the season ranked in the Top 10 (Coaches Poll) with only the one loss to SMU?? If so, I easily choose hypothetical scenario #1. I understand your thought process in the question, but success should be based on more than one or two games. If we happened to beat Texas and SMU but then lost every other game, I would be just as disatisfied with the season as I was last year.