Michael Scott

Hence the...their title, not mine comment in the title. I know many are bitter around here, so I guess you understandbly assumed the worst. Me, I don't really care either way. I'd only hate to be the 9 or 10 players on that field last night who won't be millionares in a few years - but who said life is fair David Pino?

http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/04/commentary...tsbiz/index.htm I know people always hate the big money teams, but the cash machine the entire university of Texas put together (even with the state help) is astounding. Regardless of resources and barriers to other schools and all that, if you can manage it this well, hats off to you. "To put this into context, Texas' profit from football is more than the revenue of all but eight of the other schools in this year's bowls."

Most of NT's fans are just bipolar and have to swing wildly one way or the other. It makes up for the huge middle that just doesn't care.

The way people carry on in Austin you'd think Texas had done half of that....

Might not want to have opened THAT door.....

What ranks higher - the supreme word of gomeangreen.com or the DRC? And no, we are still together, just staying with our own families for the holidays

You do understand how marketing and promotions work - as I've stated in every thread and a PM. You also treat people who disapprove of the department like you are better than them and smarter - as I've also stated. I'm sorry I pissed off the number one supporter of bball ever. You seem to take up the sword of status quo for basketball and fight for the need to change everything about football. It seems like you have a few friends in the AD and admin building you spend most of your time on here sticking up for (based on old posts) yet you call for for disclosure on other things? Don't be too flattered about the post history, it takes about 4 seconds to look up on this board control panel. Stupidest thread ever - I should be caned for even being in it. Seems like an internet chat board got you mad after all....its a christmas miracle.

First when did I call you arrogant? I did call your post self important - but so are the posts of many people on here. You know Paul and Jamie and some others - good for you, they seem like nice dudes. Second, here are some quotes of you getting mad or name dropping. Nothing big, I am just amused that you have a tendency to slap on a relationship or a name on something every time it comes up - I wouldn't worry too much about what makes me laugh on this board. "What upset me with you is your whole "the AD doesn't care about basketball" comments." "since you are concerned about there level of commitment to the basketball program, call Paul or Jamie and VOLUNTEER your time to try and help the athletic department with basketball. they woud love the help. i'm fine with the criticism but don't say they don't care" "There is a gentleman (Scotty, I believe) who is one of the cheerleading coaches and the lady that is over the cheerleaders is Jenifer Cloutier. Jenifer reports directly to the Director of Marketing, Paul Batchelder but Scotty, Jenifer and Paul could talk to the cheerleaders til they are blue in the face but they have no control over them in the end. Why?" "Athletics DOES support them financially. How do you think that they paid for all of those t-shirts? They can thank Paul Batchelder for that." "I am sure that Paul and Jamie would gladly accept any idea that would help North Texas Basketball." "e-bone is dillusional. he knows it. the guy just loves to argue." Are you picking fights with me because e-bone is out? As I said, we agree that most people don't know how all this stuff works, but you do seem sensitive or perhaps see yourself as the voice to swoop in take up arms for the AD. Their big boys and girls - they'll handle it. Really just want to close this little deal between us now because in essence, we both agree - win some games on the floor and the rest will happen, just like it did for football. The Domino's Man knows this too. So this holiday season, ask for the gift of 20 wins and a tournament bid.

You're the coolest We all are different cuts of the same dweeb cloth. I agree with most of what you say - we've PMed on this before - and I think the arguments that always contradict on marketing, promotions, tickets, etc. are usually off but people on the board are finally learning which items each department within the overall AD brings about. I think you have done a good job of bringing your experience to the board, but I think at times you get frustrated by the people who don't know the structure of the department or the history so you either go into names or get angry - which is understandable, but not constructive. Don't playa hate - educate. Let people know that the department is or is not the train wreck they imagine, but understand that the disconnect is big enough that people are going to be skeptical and/or hostile. I think the concerns of everyone on this board are very valid and any good organization would listen to them, but I think the presentation of these ideas to them needs work. Angry ranting coupled with sucking up in person won't help anything - and I would venture that they know who most of you are if they read this. UNTSIG, I've asked you this before, but do J & P take anything said on this board seriously or do they laugh it off like I would if I was them? I think real, legitimate support with the promise of work and effort would be well received - but you never know based on what some of you have expereinced in other volunteer roles. I think all sides are at fault here and you are right it is a cop out on all sides to blame one party or another for our problems. Fans, AD, and team can all do more, but I still say that, much like football, no meaningful corner will be turned until we hit the post season. We might even get 4 cheerleaders for March Madness! As for the person who brought up the SBC tournament (UNTgirl), I think the staff finally had a budget to work with where they could afford things like Mavs Man and other perks. Better atmosphere, but still no people.....although the first game where NT lost had decent attendance and I think the next games would have only grown had we won. But we'll never know...

Why is this so hard for most people to figure out - anyone take logic? This goes back to RV just like everything else we like and don't like. RV has been great for us, but he's not some untouchable diety without flaws. BTW, if UNTSIG is as close to these people as claimed, of course he'll stick up for them, just like he sticks up for the faculty and other buddies in his other threads. He sounds like a really important guy driving the future of NT all the way from the O.C. . JK SIG, I don't know you, but I am entertained by the level of self importance in a few of your posts and your tendency to name drop that everyone else on this board seems to usually fight. Bottom line is there's really not that more to do without people. Has anyone ever been at a game where there's 2 students in the stands and someone says hey "You two want to shoot for the pizza since no one else is here?" They still play Pump Up the Jam and all the other crappy songs at Mavs games (at least the ones I recently attended), but the product on the court is good enough where no one cares. If you want cooler stuff given away or done at games, then we need better sponsorship contracts and agreements, more fans, and more donations/money to fund them. To do that we need to go to the tournament a time or two and get some buzz around this thing. People go to football games because people are there now - but the winning had to happen first to get the bigger fan base to give it a try. The only exception to this is scheduling big name opponents. I almost wish the department would let you all implement your supposed catch alls so you can watch them fail as well - we need a product worth seeing first - then the bells and whistles need to get tacked on. This is basic product marketing. And finally, we still need song girls! Sweet, clean song girls....

Even if we had the stadium full and the best atmosphere ever we should never think like this - I think the atmosphere you want is impossible without fans who care though - and no amount of free trials, strobe lights, or posters will do that. If this team wins, and wins often, you'll see the same type of innovations you saw in football that were only possible/ cost feasible with people in place. We don't do enough, but I will reserve my complaining until the team is good...and people still aren't showing up. I don't think EBone is the only busy student at the university, and a team not good enough to win a tournament game or two is not going to pack the pit, even if they give away Ipods and the cure for cancer. Look at the NBA - most in game productions are similar for the most part - but the team record can make or break the whole show.

Yeah screw half the program. We're not in this together at all! Go F yourself track!!!!!

I'm no unofficial super expert namedropper like some on this thread, but wouldn't this hiring and firing call go to RV? On another note: To blame marketing and promotions for all problems is stupid, but to argue that everything possible has been done is stupid as well. I think collaboration is a good idea, but I also know me walking into a banker's office and saying "you aren't doing this right" would not be well received. I think bringing some actual ideas and being polite to the staff would go a long way. UNTSIG, what's the staff like since you guy are so tight? Would they really be open to something like this or would it be the same smile and nod treatment others have been given (if even a smile?)

Why not modify it to what USC does? http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/IMREC/s...bout/about.html "Unlike other college cheer teams, the Song Leaders are primarily a dance squad."

USA barely beat Samford by 3, Monroe by 10, and Loyola by 1 - if they are still not receiving votes and beat Tennessee then we have issues. Houston probably shouldn't be ranked either - but beating 2 ranked teams in one week made them hard to ignore (even if those teams are no longer ranked.) Its the stupid inertia of poll voters.

What makes you think the AD has a say over the cheerleaders and what they do? Write a letter to the woman who is in charge of cheerleaders and let her know how you feel too.

They saw Brian Waters just throwing people around yesterday? Yes, I'm a Cowboy's fan, but it is nice to finally get a nice, close look at the Chiefs line in action. It was the best of both worlds (and not just because I had Larry Johnson starting in fantasy football!)

How dare you interject reality to this situation? Everyone on our team deserves to be drafted.

Seems like the ticket office mailings are always late or scattered or thrown together, and everytime you call its going out "this week." The other mailings you mention come from the MGC, not the ticket office. The pizzas are not actual pizzas, but coupons - that's more up to the vendor to supply them. Maybe they didn't want to give for an extra game - but you are right, they must do better. This stuff gets so old.

I had a friend who's ACC tell me that Texas or any Big XII school will never win a title because no one in the conference has ever played or committed to defense well enough. He said they win, but in crunch time they are like the Dallas Mavericks used to be. I don't know if I agree with him, but today seemed to bear him out.... That and what happened to Texas's depth? The Box Score shows not much outside of 3 guys...

Anyone arguing for I-AA is a moron. Yes TSU would beat us this year, odds are they wouldn't next year. The point of my posts were to put a watch on them and show that we need to act fast. They are building attendance (they are live 4-5K) behind us and either have the same or more donors as us unless something drastic happened after this season. They are doing it right and could be another in a line of I-AA schools that were behind or with us to pass us by. Also, they have connected to the entire community and the student base in a way we never seemed to pull off. They raised 500K in new donations during football season and seem to be slowly building the program. They may not have as nice a stadium yet, but their in zone complex is very nice and they are currently in the middle of campaigns for a new baseball stadium and ultimately football. The questions are is this a fluke season or the beginning of something on the field for them. I did not mean to facilitate a Texas State love fest and that it turned into some kind of Bobcat cheerleading camp kind of sucks (the I-AA comment still shocks me), but to sit there and think another school cannot pass us by is stupid. Its happened all the time for 10 years. There is no reason they should pass us unless we continue to crap up the field like this year, lose OOC games, miss on big donors, and not grow the MGC base. Of course, there's no reason schools like FAU, Boise St., Marshall, UCF, Tulsa, La Tech, etc. should have ever passed us either. GMG (This is my last post on the topic unless anyone wants to call me out or just PM me - I never imagined TSU getting 3 threads here. Although the Longhorns, Aggies, etc. are always on here once or twice a day....sensitive topic maybe?)

I was referring to my whole experience of games - including bowls. I have never been to a bowl game without being asked to sit down so someone can see or to quiet down. You guys are right though, NMSU and Baylor were great- I just cannot wait until they are not the exceptions but the rule.

Second guessing coaches has never been limited to NT - haven't you ever listened to an NFL post game show? Unless you've never done it, then you can cast the first stone I feel bad for those kids, but I also felt bad for the kid on NIU who muffed the punt. Give credit to the NIU QB as well. I did not understand why TSU has their defense avoid the huddle and find plays on a chart though - I think there is a reason I've never seen anyone do that anywhere. I enjoyed when one announcer talked about how they were never out of position thanks to the chart and don't breakdown and the other guy asked if he watched the first half. That was a fun/funny game if you had no ties to it. If I was a TSU fan I'd be beyond rage... BTW - how sorry was that punter faking injury in the first half...hope he gets clocked next week.

There is no way to justify that kind of decision. That shows the kids your scared - Neally lost the game trying to do too much because it was a position he never should have been put in. Poor kids - but a lot of bonehead calls on both sides towards the end (extra points and going for 2 at weird times, fielding a punt inside the 10 for NIU, TSU falling in love with the pass a bit too much when they had control.) You could tell these are 2 coaches who had never really won before - that's for sure.

Tap the brakes on I-AA - but their crowd noise puts ours to shame. They must have killed off the anti-standing faction we have kept around for so long.