Heart of Dallas Press Conference Notes

[Harry]

The Heart of Dallas Bowl had its media call tonight. Here are a few highlights:

– The real zinger was that Rick Villarreal and Dan McCarney talked a whole lot about how important it is for UNT fans to show up on New Year’s Day.

“The fan base challenged us,” Rick Villarreal said. “Now we are challenging them.”

Villarreal believes UNT has put the product the fans asked for on the field. Now he is expecting UNT’s fans to show up and support the team.

Read more: http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2013/12/hod-press-call-notes.html/

[MeanGreenHoops]

“The fan base challenged us,” Rick Villarreal said. “Now we are challenging them.”

Don't challenge the fan base. That's a bad idea. Watching this program for years has been very challenging. You need to throw a celebration and invite all of the fans. Challenging them to come is not the way to win them back.

[tmjerm]

Don't challenge the fan base. That's a bad idea. Watching this program for years has been very challenging. You need to throw a celebration and invite all of the fans. Challenging them to come is not the way to win them back.

Very true...but it's our obligation to acknowledge these efforts and show up.

[PlummMeanGreen]

First of all, building our attendance is not the job of Coach DMac. Yall know any other NCAA FBS HFC whose job it is to sell tickets?

Yet once again we get preached to; that is, those of us who are the week in and week out parishioners.

If all the regulars were to succumb to some epidemic, then who would be left that would hear the same sermon?

Just maybe they need to go out and recruit new faces? UTSA should have taught that to us if nothing else. They had "NO" faces 3 years ago. Yet our area and enrollment continues to grow, but our attendance does not....if you've heard this once you've heard all this a thousand times from some of us--probably me more than most.

Its very easy to see where our problems in building attendance come from with this pass the buck mentality. Pretty easy to pass the buck to those who job it flat out ain't to do, now isn't it?

Our coaches and teams deserves so much more than this (and just seeing the same old faces--like us).

GMG!

PS: Walk up ticket sales will be very important for this game, except our school won't get credit for those even if 99% of the walk ups are wearing green.

Edited December 9, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[Side Show Joe]

Challenging the fan base?

The fan base will be at the game. The people happy about playing UNLV will be at the HOD, and the people mad about playing UNLV will be at the HOD.

They need to worry about the people associated with North Texas who are indifferent to playing UNLV. You can't challenge those people. A different approach will be needed.

[scrappyman1]

I'm expecting us to hold Brett to inundate the Dallas Morning

News with bowl and team inormation about the game. He should

Write an article every other day. Keep reminding everyone

We are the only game in town with a local team.

[UNT90]

Challenging the fan base?

The fan base will be at the game. The people happy about playing UNLV will be at the HOD, and the people mad about playing UNLV will be at the HOD.

They need to worry about the people associated with North Texas who are indifferent to playing UNLV. You can't challenge those people. A different approach will be needed.

No doubt. Sadly, I don't think any approach will interest these people in this game. Hope I'm wrong. Edited December 9, 2013 by UNT90

[An Aquarian]

I'm expecting us to hold Brett to inundate the Dallas Morning

News with bowl and team inormation about the game. He should

Write an article every other day. Keep reminding everyone

We are the only game in town with a local team.

That's all well and good but will they run them? 2 different things.

[UNTeagle88]

Here is how you do it...

Have the company that UNT contracts out to that creates these commercials create one for North Texas in the HOD Bowl... (Old Hat Creative)
UNT pay for the commercials on WFAA Channel 8, KDFW Fox 4, CBS 11, NBC 5 and have them run all the time for 2 weeks.

North Texas is going to have to put down some doe wake up some alumni.

Videos like this below..

Edited December 9, 2013 by UNTeagle88

[UNTeagle88]

Oh and we should get Dale Hansen to do a special show about North Texas Football on Sunday night. It seems like the two guys are from Iowa, and they enjoy with each other.

http://www.wfaa.com/sports/college/Dale-talks-with-UNT-head-coach-Dan-McCarney-221417901.html (Before Idaho Game)

[buff64]

Challenging the fan base?

The fan base will be at the game. The people happy about playing UNLV will be at the HOD, and the people mad about playing UNLV will be at the HOD.

They need to worry about the people associated with North Texas who are indifferent to playing UNLV. You can't challenge those people. A different approach will be needed.

Do you think a number of UNLV fans will also be upset about playing UNT ?

[greenit]

It is hard to tell. I went to the MWC board to see their reaction. They were discussing their bowl lineup. They were encouraged because the conference got 3 matchups with the Pac12, a game vs NIU, and 2 turds.

I have not had a chance to check to see if we were recently added to the Pac12.

[UNT 90 Grad]

Do you think a number of UNLV fans will also be upset about playing UNT ?

It was looking like they were going to get left out of the bowls even though they were eligible. I bet they are just happy to be playing anyone (as so should we). Edited December 9, 2013 by UNT 90 Grad

[greenit]

I remember seeing some predictions showing them going to the famous potato bowl against a MAC team, so I would think they would be happy to find themselves in a New Year's Day bowl, regardless of the opponent.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Come On Now...Give Us A Freakin' Break!

Too Long? Yes, in deed, but this one you might just want to read & absorb. (Eat prunes later).

3 or so weeks ago Sports Illustrated forecasts that Notre Dame would be the CUSA team's foe in the HOD Bowl Game

2 or so weeks ago USA Today mentioned Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and 1 or 2 others for the HOD Bowl Game.

Just days ago, Syracuse and Boston College were on record that they wanted to come to Big D for the HOD Bowl Game.

So yesterday we all get collectively kicked in the family jewels as that vaunted NCAA college football juggernaut, ie, the UNLV Rebels (instead of "ANY" of the above traditional football schools) gets the HOD Bowl invite? Is this someone's idea of a cruel joke or what? And with $75 tickets we are supposed to convert all the casuals and borderliners to over-night Mean Green fans to boot? Hell, pass that job onto someone else, right UNT Athletics?

YET STILL.............the onus is on our regular fan's backs once again to somehow each of us do a personal mitosis or tritosis of ourselves and suddenly create a groundswell of new fans with a feat which would be the all time miracle of modern medical science, right? And as ridiculous an idea that is most on this board still would--if only we could, right, fellow Mean Green fans? Anything to help dear ol' alma mater from our group. OK, let's get a bit more serious again.

AND THEN WE HAVE THIS FOR CRISSAKES'?

Should we all have quit our jobs in the Spring and Summer of 2011 to help our crack promotions and marketing staff in the UNT Athletic Department to sellout Apogee for the Houston Cougar game? With almost 4 or more months to sellout that stadium debut game a piece of cake, right? Not at our school would it ever be a piece of cake. UTSA would have needed extra seats if it had been their "can do" staff, though. They wouldn't have passed the ball over to their fans in order to keep the microscope off of their nicely paid jobs--especially if failure would have occurred. Well, for the debut of a new college football stadium in Denton, Texas, and against a UH Coog foe that would bring 4,000 fans......failure did occur.

The fact that even our campus stadium's grand opening didn't sellout even with Houston bringing 4,000 fans should have been yet another clear sign of just more of the same ol' shit to come from UNT; that is, from a department on our campus that are still able to continually removes themselves from the challenge of getting new fans but rather putting that challenge on fans who already show up on Game Days any time the damn turnstiles are open.

One helluva' cushy job some have at our alma mater keep hanging onto--hell or high water; ie, those who never are responsible for what they were hired to do but who rather choose to put probably the most important part of their job on those of us who are actually a tad busy at our own jobs. Fellow North Texas alums: When is the last time you asked someone else to do "YOUR" job?

Once this latest adventure in Mean Green Soap Opera is done there needs to be some drastic changes made because I guaran'damn'tee you, if we don't solve our regular season attendance shortfalls now, it will come back to haunt us once again like for starters maybe the following > > > > > > > Like when we have a bowl game in our back yard and our fans are being asked to come up with thousands of new fans that not even our own UNT Athletic Department could find among a population center of over 6 million and for a new stadium's grand opening? You can't make this stuff up---but you can at UNT.

I'll be at the HOD Bowl game, but I will only count for 1 seat.

GMG!

Adding Insult To Injury From the UNLV Head Football Coach: Even the UNLV HFC is telling us they don't want to play at an empty Cotton Bowl stadium? You think we do, Coach? Sorry, but we really wanted who the national media has been projecting for about a month now and that list did not include.....Tark the Shark U !

This For The UNLV Head Football Coach:

The schools that the national media projected would be at the HOD Bowl game would have brought so many more fans than just their marching band and a few of their football player's parents like we fear "YOUR" school will only bring.

And with (was it) 15,000 (+/-) at your last home game, O Wise UNLV Coach, do you have some attendance ideas for us down here in Texas?

Edited December 9, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[Side Show Joe]

We on this board can't bring the numbers North Texas needs for the HOD.

C-USA, the HOD, and UNT will have to open their wallets and flood DFW with exciting commercials promoting this game. They also need to run the commercials during bowl games featuring in Texas programs (Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl). UNT has to sell the 100th anniversary angle, and invite every alum, fan, and person every associated with North Texas to come out to the HOD for the grand finally celebration. The game must become more then just a bowl game. Bring out the All-Century team. Bring in Hayden Fry. Have the team wear the 100th anniversary uniforms again. We have to create something special the DFW media can't ignore. It won't be cheap, but it's what needs to be done.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Side Show Joe

[MeanGreenTexan]

I think a challenge to the fan BASE is OK to issue. That would be the people who are current season ticket holders (MGC members & non-MGC members alike). Unfortunately, those folks are probably already on-board and many of us are bringing friends.

Challenge us (the fan BASE)... that's fine. But, you're not off the hook Rick & crew. There are disconnected alumni and casual college fb fans in DFW that need to be reached out to By YOU & the University.

[MeanGreenHoops]

I think a challenge to the fan BASE is OK to issue. That would be the people who are current season ticket holders (MGC members & non-MGC members alike). Unfortunately, those folks are probably already on-board and many of us are bringing friends.

Challenge us (the fan BASE)... that's fine. But, you're not off the hook Rick & crew. There are disconnected alumni and casual college fb fans in DFW that need to be reached out to By YOU & the University.

Maybe but look, this quote might be in the paper, and casual Dentonites and fans will read it. If you were someone who had been starting to pay attention this year because we were winning and then you read the coach and AD calling out fans out after 1 good season after the train wreck this has been for years, I'm thinking that would be off-putting. I'd say this is a great day to be a North Texas Alumnus. We know it's been a struggle but we're starting to make it back. We are in a bowl game and would love to see our many alumns in the area attend. We plan to have a huge party and turn Dallas green. More details to come and Go Mean green!.

[Cerebus]

First, before anyone accuses me of being part of the problem and just complaining. I am inviting every alumni I know to this game, I will pay for their ticket if they agree. I hope to buy about 20 tickets.

Now, on to the issue:

You need to throw a celebration and invite all of the fans. Challenging them to come is not the way to win them back.

They need to worry about the people associated with North Texas who are indifferent to playing UNLV. You can't challenge those people. A different approach will be needed.

We on this board can't bring the numbers North Texas needs for the HOD.

AMEN!

A huge celebration should be used to convince that huge but disaffected alumni base to come and check out the Mean Green.

[Side Show Joe]

Well said Cerebus. Regardless of our opinions about the opponent (and I don't believe anyone feels UNLV is beneath UNT, just not what we expected), we all want the Mean Green to enjoy playing a great game in front a large UNT crowd. We need the university to take the lead and execute a plan to involve more UNT alums and college football fans in the North Texas region. I look forward to seeing what they come up with.