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There are only a couple of these reports left before all of the numbers go final. The top crowd of the weekend was 4352 for North Texas vs. Florida Atlantic here in Denton. Western Kentucky is still in the overall lead, but the lead has been shrunk considerably over the last few weeks. North Texas is now trailing WKU by just under 700/game. Middle Tennessee is also making another run at the #2 spot, trailing North Texas by only 26/game. The overall SBC average is 2626. For conference play, North Texas remains in the lead after this weekend. UALR, Arkansas State, and UL-Lafayette are all within 200/game of North Texas. It is going to be a battle for the top spot. 6 teams for both overall attendance, and conference attendance are averaging over 3000 fans per game. That is not too bad. The away attendance is shown, but means little at this point. For what it's worth, ULM is closing in on FIU. The average attendance for a SBC conference game is 2696 (70 more than the overall average). WKU currently sits in 5th place in conference attendance, but it will be interesting to see what kind of crowd they draw for North Texas on ESPN2 this Saturday... Also, here are the current top 10 crowds of the year: 1. Western Kentucky (Louisville) - 7326 2. North Texas (Texas Tech) - 7105 3. Middle Tennessee (Vanderbilt) - 6820 4. Denver (FIU) - 6244 5. Western Kentucky (South Carolina) - 6012 6. Louisiana-Lafayette (ULM) - 5624 7. Denver (CS-Northridge) - 5450 8. South Alabama (FIU) - 5431 9. UALR (Arkansas State) - 5218 10. North Texas (Arkansas State) - 4856

Brett Vito wrote about the method of rebuilding the football team in his blog yesterday. http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/ It's certainly true that the process is going to be slower with high school players vs. a quick fix from JUCOs. He's also right that the 2011 edition will not be as strong on paper as the 2010 squad. The losses of Jamaal Jackson, the quarterbacks, Gill, Drake, Santiago, Robertson, Atkinson and Kelvin Jackson cannot be matched, at least immediately, by new or existing players. But there are some positions where we will be improved over last year. Power will be a great addition at tight end and could spring Dunbar open for some long runs. It will be good to have JJ Johnson back at center. The defensive backfield returns Ford and Cook and should be stronger than last year. However, there are some factors that Brett did not mention in his article. First, last year's team was notorious for its underachieving. Phil Steele evaluated that they had the third best personnel in the Sun Belt but they sure didn't play like it. It was not helped by the terrible string of injuries. Most of the starters seldom came off of the field so fatigue had to be a factor. That won't be the case this year. I think that you will see tremendous improvement in coaching, speed, and morale over last year. It's a more experienced, higher paid, better achieving staff and their focus is on speed and participation. Knowing that if you work hard you stand a very good chance of playing in each game will improve morale. And, improved morale often leads to overachieving. Vito's probably right...this doesn't appear to be a bowl team but I wouldn't totally rule it out either.

We're in the effing Sun Belt! There aren't any traditional powers that dominate so it's a toss up every year. It surprises me that Vito doesn't seem to believe coach McCarney won't be able to get this team to edge out a few close wins, which Dodge's teams were nortorius for losing. If we can stay relatively healthy I fully expect the Mean Green to be competing for a bowl spot in the last couple weeks of the season.

There will be a WATCH PARTY sponsored by the Denton Chapter of the UNT Alumni Association beginning at 2:00PM at Fox and Hounds in Lewisville this Saturday-Feb. 12th The watch Party is open to all UNT Alumni, friends and family and any other UNT fan who might like to attend. There is no admission charge. Beginning at 2PM there will be a short presentation reviewing the new UNT Alumni Pavilion being build in coordination with the new football stadium. The it will be on to the Western Kentucky game where we help cheer the Mean green on toward a rare road win. Should be a great time, and the nice folks at Fox and Hounds have offered us a bigger room for our event as it seems we have outgrown the room we have used the last couple of times. Let's have a big turnout and fill the "new room" with lots of GREEN! Hope to see you Saturday at 2PM at Fox and Hounds in Lewisville...all supporters of the Mean green are welcome!

I am a bit surprised that this momentous decision by a Florida Federal Judge has not received more attention on the board. No matter which side of the debate you are on this is a HUGH decision, and could be the one that actually gets this bill reviewed by the Supreme Court of the US. Big win for the states joining in this lawsuit, and one that none of them really expected...to throw out the entire bill. I believe the decision was "stayed" until it can be appealed by the US, but this is a very big victory indeed by the parties bringing this suit. For those that might think this is "no big deal", it is just the sort of thing that had to happen to get the bill before the US Supreme Court. It takes some "controversy" and some differing opinions in various lawsuits and appeals to get something like this to be heard before the Supreme Court in the first place. Without this decision, it is possible that the case would never have gotten to the US Supreme Court. VERY BIG DECISION. If it holds this could un-do the capstone piece of legislation the Obama Administration made such a focal point. Couple this with the note that some people are saying that Obama might be the president that "lost" Egypt just as Carter was the president who "lost" Iran and the days are not looking so bright in the White House. I am not saying the "guy" lost Egypt as the "results" are not in as yet, and how one can place the blame on him for that is a bit beyond me, but such is the case in some media outlets (no, not just Fox News BTW). I think it is a bit too early to "call" this action. It is not too early to be a bit concerned that the US intelligence agencies were not better prepared or more aware that this was about to take place in Egypt. The White House, the Secretary of State's Office, the CIA and the NSA all seem to have been caught completely flatfooted. If anything should concern you, it is this. Why, with all the "making nice" that the Prez and his administration has been doing toward the Arab world, and the fact that he made "making up" with the Arab World a cornerstone of his selection campaign and early days in office, did the US get caught so un-prepared? Interesting to speculate I would think. Big days brewing both internally and externally. Do we have an administration capable of handling it all? Just asking.

Even worse, he gave the key to the city to a freaking PHILADELPHIA EAGLE!

Sometimes players mothers forge documents to schools.

I doubt anyone in the administration or current coaching staff would be satisfied with a four year rebuilding project. I think Vito is over analyzing a bunch of coach speck that McCarney spewed in his recruiting press conference. I really did not like the tone of McCarney's talk but it is very typical of new coaches, bemoaning what talent is here and trying to lower expectations. All the better when the team turns it around or a build in excuse if they don't. The team with all their injuries and coaching disarray was not that far away from contending for the Belt last year. It is extremely rare that teams don't have big personnel loses every year. Gill, Robinson, Jackson, Jackson, Dodge and Atkinsson were all good players but none are not replaceable. Failure to sign a boatload of juco in my view is a good thing, not a white flag.

If I remember right, the Sun Belt champion is the only one that is guaranteed a bowl game. After that, the other bowl tie-ins get their pick of the Bowl Eligible teams in the Sun Belt. Someone please tell me if I am wrong on that. (it may just be the third bowl tie in that gets their choice). IF that is the case though, depending on who the eligible teams are, 6-6 may be good enough to get to a bowl game. We travel decent, and we have a hungry fan base, so if the pizza/car bowl in Detroit is looking for a team, I imagine we would get picked over FIU, FAU, ULM, ULL, etc. I'm with UNTCrazy727, its the Sun Belt. Yes we have some good teams, but we played close with almost everyone last year, even with a terrible string injuries. We have a new stadium thats going to be rowdy as heck, with an unbelievable new home field advantage. Even with the players we lost, I think all of our OOC games are winnable except for Alabama. Most importantly though, we have a coaching staff that knows what they are doing. Just because Coach Mccarney does not think we look like a bowl team yet, and it seems like he is doing a full rebuild does not mean that he isn't going to go out there and try and win every freakin game we play...even Alabama. I know we aren't going to win them all, but if he can get those players as excited as he has me, we are going to win some games that we aren't supposed to this year! Go Mean Green!

Plus, this should be a highly motivated staff; several of them have experienced recent career reversals with such as the unexpected and untimely firing of coaches Leavitt and Mangino, and will be on a mission to improve their lot in life.

There is plenty...I've many issues with JJ - minute distribution, some in game management decisions, reluctance to press in recent years with great depth, etc... But, none of that changes the fact that the man is responsible for making my favorite sport, college basketball, relevant at my beloved university...so you're damn right I sleep next to a life-sized cardboard cut out of the man...and will repeatedly defend him against moronic bits of wisdom like: "We were told be several here last fall that JJ was the best coach ever at NT, surely couldn't be him. He doesn't need all these scholarships to win." "f'n ridiculous! this frustrates me much more than football! this team has the talent (i thought), but f's it away!" "Not only does our team suck now, our SunBelt officiators are even worse. Do they get bonuses based on the number of fouls they call? " I mean, what the hell is an officiator? Nobody is denying that this team is in a bad way right now...but its as if everything that raised your expectations, 4 returning starters, senior-laden team, tournament experience, gets completely tossed out the window in favor of bitching and pessimism.

You keep trying to point out that this happened one time so it can/will happen again. Sure it could happen again but is that what you hope happens, not looking at the situation and trying to logicaly figure out what will probably happen. This team is not playing well and a sweep of Feb (obviously not going to happen with a loss last night) isn't likely. Defense is horrible right now and are you really expecting a run to the tournament? Based on the team's play? One and done is a bit of an overreaction but i could see us getting bounced in the semis rather easily. We certainly don't scare anybody. Drives me crazy there isn't an area between JJ sucks and worshipping the ground JJ walks on.

You posted this at 7:30PM last evening. Why weren't you at the Mean green basketball game at that time??????

Problem for Carter is that there is really only one redeaming thing in his presidency (Treaty between Egypt and Isreal...how topical). The fact that he continues to denigrate other presidencies while trying to re-write his own presidential history IN THE MEDIA is only going to cause history to judge him more harshly. I used to be of the "he is a good person, but was just a bad president" opinion, but what he did through the Bush years completely changed the whole "good person" perception, at least for me. Any time a former president critizes a sitting president in the media at a time of war, that former president is more concerned with his own agenda than his country's agenda.

well it is obvious you don't know history.

UNT90 is correct....Carter was one of the worst. Gave away the Panama Canal (China has control of it now), Iranian Hostage Crisis, High interst (bought a jeep during that time & I had excellent credit....my rate was 18.5%). Mortgages, with excellent credit ran up to 21%, gas/oil through the roof... cmj...there is a big difference in living it and reading about it. I saw Carter kinda like Grant....both ment well, surrounded themselves with absolutely terrible advisors, really knew nothing of the magnitude of the office or foriegn affairs/domestic affairs and both indecisive (Grant was only considered a great general because he had superior #'s and material and his tactic was attrition...line 'em up, advance and die). worst president: fdr

Or ABC.

Fixed

Now this is the irrational, reactive political board I remember!! Seriously, Kram, I think we all just got tired of banging our political heads against a wall. Nothing said on here is going to change anyones' mind. Politics and religion, my friend, politics and religion. Oh, and CBL? Second worst President in American History > Jimmy "I'm still in the media trying to justify my disaster of a presidency" Carter. I lived it, you didn't. Trump.

You might need to let your boys know that. http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2827800&page=1

If you really think those two are parallel, we are in trouble. There is quite a difference between a self-employed doctor refusing to kill a child, and an employee demanding that his employers direct their business around a foreign law code. If a Muslim supermarket owner doesn't want to sell bacon, he has every right not to sell bacon. If a Muslim wants to start a cab company that refuses to accept passengers with alcoholic beverages, he has every right.

Longtime reader and first time poster here I say UNT goes for the WAC. The opportunities it offers to move up to better things is whats most interesting. Lets look at the former members of the WAC and where they are now. Arizona-Pac10 Arizona State-Pac10 BYU-MWC New Mexico-MWC Utah-Pac10 Wyoming-MWC Colorado St.-MWC UTEP-C-USA SDSU-MWC Air Force-MWC Fresno st.-MWC UNLV-MWC TCU-MWC Rice-C-USA SMU-C-USA Tulsa-C-USA Nevada-MWC Boise St.-MWC This conference has a proven track record of moving schools to bigger better conferences. Every time the WAC seems on the verge of collapse they add teams who break through and give results. What has the Sunbelt done for us? We won 4 back to back championships and did that improve our recruiting? Our national perception? If the Sunbelt had been a great place to build up our program we would have seen the results with those 4 straight conference wins. Instead we drop back and are still fighting to get back. What else has the Sunbelt created? Troy? MTSU? No team here is looking like they will be a BCS buster, lets face it the Sunbelt has not produced. an east devision with TxSt LaTech NMSU UNT UTSA (one more) would garner much more interest by the students than any of the schools we play now. No one on campus is interested about the schools we play. We have no rivalries in 10 years. No one cares about FAU or Troy. No offense but the median poster here seems like a middle aged male. I think the younger alums would feel that this is a good move. Sure I can see that there is a potential for risk here, but there is also potential for reward. I would rather give it a shot and see if we can land a big reward instead of sitting pretty where we are and hope something happens. If C-USA doesn't come calling in the summer I say give the invite a serious consideration. The WAC can be a great place to transition to a better place, or we can remain in the Sunbelt which has no track record of its teams moving up.

thanks for answering with more than a "no" Im well aware of UNT's stance in the past regarding the WAC, simply wondering if more TX schools and other realignment scenarios might bring about some different thinking. You can certainly make the argument that the Belt is stronger than what will remain of the WAC, but the average person will still view the WAC as the better of the two IMO. Its still going to take a few years of consistency by Belt teams for that perception to change. The WAC will always have some type of ESPN deal, deserved or not, to fill late night slots. I think many are quick to dismiss the brand recognition that Boise has built for the WAC, I dont think that recognition dissapears the moment Fresno and BSU leave. IMO, knowing that a non AQ conference has produced multiple BCS at large teams within the past few years alone puts it way ahead in perception. It leaves the door open for the remaining/new members to have similar success, and offer that potential to recruits and fans. The belt ceiling still doesnt go that high IMO. Thats why I am asking now if anyone feels differently. Your program is on the verge of having to hit the reset button, momentum built by your last Sunbelt 'ship has nearly been erased by the Dodge tenure. If a program has to start over, with a new stadium to boot, why not consider a new conference as well. Call it the ultimate of clean slates i guess.

he would have to sit out a year if he transferred to unt or any fbs school. he can play this season at montana or any fcs school. like riley did. most don't have the patience to wait an extra year.

The problem with Vito is that he really doesn't watch the games and I wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking he's got a handle on the nuances of football if I were you. This team can be a bowl bound team if they can fix the Defense. The Offense is fairly intact. If you look at film of the last 5 games you'll see that Dunbar broke more long runs behind the so called back-up center and left guard than any other direction. I give Drake props for even being in there most of the year because that was one hurtin player. He only played about 60% of the season. Gill was the only starting O-lineman that will be missed, but most of the other O positions will be improved upon. Now D is another story, but the anchor players are pretty good and the HC is a D "genius" we hear. We need two good D-Linemen, one good LB and another good corner. If Thompson can step in at QB, I like our chances to make a bowl game.

Can they leave this camera up after the stadium is finished? Watching this combined with listening to 88.1/100.7 could be better than some of the Mean Green Premium feeds I've seen before.

sad that athletics does not have a room large enough. we have to go pay holiday inn? why not the gateway center?

I won't even consider any of their demands until they publicly recognize that Lake Wobegon has a right to statehood.

Hasn't this bullshit story been debunked like 2 years ago? Its John Gibson for christ sake, the same guy who proclaimed that we needed more white babies.

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good Fox news story

Health Care Debate...not the first ruling: 2 for, 2 against...right down appointed political lines. Shocking development, really. As for your "paragraph" or "statement" on Egypt...I mean, there are unintelligible ramblings...and then there is this. Seriously...absolutely nobody, not the US, not Europe, not Ben Ali and Mubarak, not the protesters themselves could've had any cognition as to the scale of what is currently brewing. For anyone to attempting to lay blame or criticize, really anyone, for the unexpected scale of these events is beyond lunacy. There's partisan-ized opinion...then theres just insanity.

Egypt has little to do with the current or past administration... truth is, Egypt has been a powder keg for well over twenty years... After Sadat was assassinated, I was surprised their wasn't a large uprising. Your statements read like the type of reporting which tries to tie unrelated topics together, a la FOX (Egypt + American healthcare... really...)

Quoting Simpsons is like quoting scripture. People tend to get angry when you do it wrong. And having at least a basic familiarity with the most frequently cited passages from both is essential to understanding cultural discourse in America. I'm not saying I'm declaring holy war on you if you don't buy some DVD sets and get caught up... But I *do* know where you tend to sit at basketball games.

You're funny. Or certifiable. Either way, I'd have you over for a dinner party.

Loved it!!! So cute!

Fixed Revised.

Quoted so that CBL doesn't forget to add it to the list.

If we lose....JJ is in his own doghouse...and he has to share the food bowl with Tristan....

Considering what we went through with the injuries last season, and the preparation and fight I saw against KState...I am excited for the next team. Especially since Canales was retained.

He obviously signed a LOI to North Texas. Whether there was still a scholarship waiting for him at the other end is another matter.

Spenerc, Williams, Odufua for a game, Know for a game, mcGee, mangurum.... I still like what I see moving forward, especially for next year. Holmen has really stepped it up and become a decent 3/4 player... not sure where he will fit next year but I finally saw some post play out of him as well as attacking the boards and making some threes. He really lights a fire under my britches!

Sometimes players just sign blank pieces of paper to make it look like they are signing.

I base it on his stories. They're almost like he talks to some coaches and players and writes what they say. I have seen so many mistakes in his columns about little things like naming players in games that are not playing in that game. Also, he doesn't watch anyone but the QB & RB, maybe a little WR; no defense. Very weak reporting if you ask me!

While reading over the article regarding Tate Forcier leaving Michigan, I thought what about UNT as an option? For heaven sakes, he is considering Montana which is a perennial 1-AA powerhouse, but Montana? I know it is just a pipe dream, but a QB with a 130 passer rating in a passing oriented offense with a solid running game could really catch some attention in one of the top five media markets in the US...

This is why I have hope. Vito mentioned every subtraction from this team save one HUGE one. Todd Dodge

That this losing streak is partly due to the treatment I received from the board the day of the big announcement?