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This Much like the 38 year olds on this very message board

As long as we're in I could care less

There was an article last week in the Houston Chronicle regarding Kyle Field renovation. The quote from that article that got my attention was from their President. "Our football weekends will provide us with a key vehicle for introducing people around the couontry to Texas A&M." I like this relection on how sports can enhance and promote an institution. It seems as if our school finally gets the understanding of this type of marketing and alumni retention. To me this is what we have been missing for some time. RV gets it but we needed a president to not only understand this but get on board and make this a catch up priority. I understand sports should not be a priority for a college but we are making up for years of leadership that discounted a philosophy that many other schools embraced. And thus we were stuck in limbo for quite a while. While some damage has been done we are at least coming out of the cave. The few of us old guys that have still hung around with interest see the hope that is out there for us. The new stadium was huge. My experiance at the Indiana game with my old buddies was priceless. Great friends, tailgatiang in the shade of a new stadium and playing (and beating) a big 10 team. I too was disappointed in attendance. I would have never thought we would not have sold out the Houston game. I am still bothered by that but have hope that a plan to fill the stadium will come and a change in conferance will assist us in more regional rivalries and interest. People left our game day experiance (old alums or visitors) impressed with what we have done at North Texas. We need to continue to steam roll ahead and keep introducing people around the county to The University of North Texas.

Chris made a mistake. He manned up, admitted it and apologized. No reason to drag the past thru the mud again. If he wants to man up again and tough this out, make things right he will do it . If he wants to run from his problems then let him run.

35,000 a game. How many would be there if they had to purchase tickets? How many will be there in 2 or 3 years when they are still struggling? That number from last year is terribly skewed and appears the result of UTSA hiring SMU's old attendance counter. They need to earn their stripes before moving up.

Trent Johnson was a terrible hire. People want to point to his 80 - 48 mark at Stanford. The 4 years at Stanford prior ? 105 - 24

San Antonio has supported utsa to the tune of 35,000 a game. Dallas didn't support us that way even when we played smuu- could of been great but smuu didn't bring any fans. McCombs had all their utsa fb games televised on the longhorn ntwk. So really they are getting more pub than NT and putting more butts in the seats.Lynn Dickey is doing a great job with the assets here in town. So my take is Harry is right, but I guess we don't need any more tv games!

No disrespect to our kids..... But if JJ's bringing any of them to LSU he's doing it wrong. With one obvious exception.

shawn forrest just tweeted "life is about to really change"

A couple opinions: 1. I don't see why UTSA playing in the Alamodome is any better then when we used to play at Texas Stadium. There were good reasons why we stopped playing those games at Texas Stadium. 2. Although I don't consider San Antonio a great destination city, I will say that its greatest advantage is that it is drivable from Dallas.

Agree. Let them do their time in the Belt/WAC before any offer. I disagree with network attraction to those games with the BCS big boys. No one wants to watch the home team lose 70-0.

Vito says in Saturday morning blog jones catches pass as receiver Can't remember seeing him take any snaps under center @ the 2 practices I attended. Has he been officially moved ?

Texas State over UTSA any time. And FWIW, LaLa over La Tech.....any time. We have history with both. And in one case, LOTS of history.

Trey has decided to give up on Football. Don't be surprised if he lands here as a BB walk on. May depend on new coach/staff

I'm torn on UTSA... They haven't done anything yet, and probably wont for a long time. I think Texas has enough FBS schools already, and UTSA and Texas State don't need to be FBS. On the other hand... They are going to be an FBS team whether I like it or not, and another Texas team would be nice. I'd probably prefer traveling to San Antonio every other year. I can't say the same about Ruston. Is neither an option?

My opposition to UTSA is two-fold. One, they bring nothing that would enhance any conference. Media market? They rank 36th behind Hartford, CT, Nashville, TN, Charlotte, NC, Raleigh, NC, and Milwaukee, WI. Attendance? I don't think you can base that on one year of a new program. History? Zero. They are just another Hyphenated University. Two... I guess I have a real problem that we have worked and scratched and clawed to try to get into C-USA for years and along comes this upstart program that has a change (small as it may be) to get in with us.

Please no UTSA.

North Texas Athletics is cleaning out its closets and will host a surplus equipment and apparel garage sale at Apogee stadium prior to and during the April 21st Spring Game. Old jerseys, relatively new jerseys, sweat tops & pants, shoes, cleats, polos, warm ups, T-shirts, socks, limited edition New Orleans Bowl footballs and much more will be in a garage sale style display for picking and purchasing. All items will be set up just inside of Gate 2 adjacent to the Athletic Ticket Office and Mean Green Gear Stadium Store . Sales will start at 12:30 and run at least through halftime of the spring game. Pricing will range from $1 to $30 depending on item.

Cannot believe all of the changes in the last year in the status of our program. It's been a really tough two weeks but trying to look at this like I would if I was say an OU fan or better yet OU T-shirt fan. I think if I was that guy, I'd wonder what the heck is going on in Denton, and think it's something really good. We have a great new stadium that got lots of positive buzz. And both our basketball coaches left. Not because they were fired, but because they went to Texas and LSU. While LSU isn't a basketball power, it is one of the biggest boys on the block in college athletics. These are two huge schools and they wanted NT people. Plus, there are many rumors that we are moving up in conference. This is the kind of attention that is never paid to NT, at least not in a long, long, time. It sux, but it's good. You want to be good, because other people then want your people. It sure beats being lousy and nobody cares. It also makes it so other coaches can see, that we are not some place you go to have your career die. You can get a dream job. Hell we had two people land their's recently. Now we have to hope RV and team can keep it up. That random fan of OU or wherever cannot help but think better of us. That also applies to the 100K alums or whatever in the area that we here about that fluff off their university. This will make them take notice too. We just have too keep doing it. While it's painful, this is the kind of stuff that gets the stink off the program that has been here for decades. Back to wallowing in the pain.

Missouri State. And they'd be a great basketball addition.

Agree!

I'm fine with the guys we have at QB. It's not the QB spot that concerns me going into the fall. The DB's and DL's are where the Mean green can make or break the season...that and the OL of course. Injuries to these spots can be the big difference between a 7+ win season or something less. Our QB's are fine...and will be for several years with the guys "in house". Now, would I like to sign another QB this year or next...absolutely.

I'm fine with it as long as we land Brock.

Best case, if possible ... Go west but have crossover games with the C-USA Texas teams

Absolutely... If UNT would of wanted him he would of been offered a scholarship, from what I heard he never got one... It had nothing to do with baseball... Just bc he's a local kid doesn't mean he's the right fit

I just like how I was right, once again... And everyone doubted me... Oh well, I guess I'll buy my own shot

How about a coach that won 58% of his D1 college games, 50% in the NCAA tourney, in 4 years his team went to 2 NCAA tourneys and won over 50% (8) of his games against top 25 and top 60 teams? And he will take the job and in the pay range that won't break the budget...under 400K Ken McDonald

hopefully never...all three are badasseseseses!!!!

He's an 18 year old kid, and like most 18 year old kids his emotions will often override his mouth filter.

But is it not true? The team owes him nothing after he failed to take care of his business and handicapped the season. He's definitely a great player, but if he's threatening to leave then there's no point in rooting for him to stick around.

When will one of our running backs be moved to db?

Certainly would not be the first time my "sources" were wrong...and I am sure it won't be the last. They are "decent" sources who should know what they are talking about, but they are "sources" none the less....probably no better or worse than yours...so, since Scotty did not sign here, we have to assume there is a reason....either he wanted to and was not offered or he really wanted to have the option of baseball but was playing his hand the best he could. Don't blame the kid AT ALL, and I darn sure wish he was going to be wearing the green of the Mean Green. But, my sources said UNT was never his first choice...maye the coaches knew that and were pursuing another option. I don't know from UNT's coaching point of view..that's not where my sources were on this one..... Good luck to Scotty...unless of course when LA TECH might just be playing the Mean Green!

But who made the hire that had us in that mess in the 1st place

I can add to this as I received word last night from a source associated with the athletic department that that C-USA was on campus last week and UNT & FIU (No word on Utah State), are a done deal for 2013. My guess is there will be an official announcement well before June.

Coaching decisions should not be driven by the passion of the fans. I seem to recall a lot of pressure from this board to hire The Coach Who Shall Not Be Named from Southlake.

Recruiting and coaching are two different animals. Seems we had a good recruiter who couldn't coach his way out if a paper bag.

How is he with the X's and O's?

I didn't think Jones would get the job, so I am two for two wrong; thought the same thing about Aston. I also don't think losing Jones or Aston is the end of world or definitely not something to applaud. Jones turned this program around from the depths of bad, he has also been the only coach that has had success with multiple teams at NT in forty plus years. Blakeley had a very good team but with primarily players he did not recruit and once they left could not recover. Way back, Spika who I think was the best coach NT has had in my times, only real success was when Joe Hamilton and Crest Whitaker were on the team. Gales only won in a couple of consecutive years. The negative on Jones is that he did not ever take that one step up that would put NT in the upper echelon of non power conference teams. The reason I was surprised that Jones was in such demand, is in my view his last two year were not all that good. Two years ago he had assembled a team that should have killed the Belt, didn't happen. Injuries were critical but JJ did for whatever reason go into the season two players short and overall failed to recruit the help that particular team needed. Last year many think he did very well, not me: a team with Mitchell should have been better than 9-7 in the Belt. I don't want to get in another debate over it, but I was not happy at all with the way he handled the J. Williams and C. Jones situation. The great positives of Jones in my view was that he was always a great representative of the school and his teams in general did not have the issues of many other teams. Most coaches in the Belt recruit numbers of players every year, lose or run off a bunch of them and then start again next year. Jones provided relatively great stability with his team, I think he really cared about the players. Another given with Johnny, is that the team was always going to peak in time for the Belt tournament. Jones also obviously has an eye for talent, frankly before Forrest he didn't get the headliners but he got kids that could play. My point with this rambling is that those that think that JJ can be easily replaced are obviously wrong. However, there are people out there to be hired that are better coaches than Jones, it is going to be far from easy but we have to hope RV finds one that can build on what Jones has accomplished.

I honestly don't care how the YAC board is reacting. It's a total snark board. UNTBowler/Tennis Hack hasn't liked JJ for several years. While Roadrunner/phoenix hasn't been around that long from what I remember - he defeinitely wasn't a fan of Coach Jones from the time he has been posting. Some of the other guys (like Caws, I respect him too much to call out his GMG identity, though itis pretty obvious too) have a more nuanced view of JJ. LSU is not set up very well for JJ, so he very well could be out of a job after a few years. They are definitely a rebuilding project, and while not as big as the one here 11 years ago, he also isn't gonna work wih a patient fanbase. If he's fired from there it's not gonna invalidate at all what he did here, and if some of those clowns celebrate if he is fired down the road, then they're just petty jerks (like, why would you celebrate someone getting canned from their dream job when that person doesn't even coach your school anymore). You think the former Boise State football coaches that failed elsewhere prove they somehow weren't good a BSU? Hardly.

So this is our big plan to afford a new basketball coach?

Baseball is the best.

Well, bases on what Tony's mom had to say, he's not going anywhere. Sorry, but I like to think our program is bigger than a couple of people. I love what Coach Jones did for us, but the right hire will keep us on the right track.

It's not all about money, Unlike SMU we are not in a huge rebuild situation and were not in an incredible basketball conference. This team next year should win the belt and me a 27-5 type team like middle...we have a 10,000 seat arena, the metroplex, texas recruting and a loaded roster...no reason we cant get most quality coaches.

Johnny was a good coach but not irreplaceable. He left this program better off than when he found it whimpering in the dumpster next to the Food Lion. So thank you JJ for all that you have done the next guy will take us on to our first NCAA Tournament win.

then he will probably make the wrong choice...his big boy decision to screw off in class already cost this team...who knows what this big boy decision will do now...

I hope Coach Jones contacts them and convinces them to stay. Not only for their benefit, but remind them how they are on the verge of greatness, and that the fans need them here.

If the players cant and dont want to handle what mac and this staff throw at em....then i dont want em around here either. I have full belief that this staff will coach the kids that WANT to be at north texas to the highest level and will have them competitive come the fall.

Glad he checks up on the message boards every few hours to get his news.

You only think those people don't have sources. I have sources too, and they are saying the exact opposite of what your sources are. It doesn't mean it's the wrong decision either, that can't be known until Mr. Young plays for LaTech. I just know that we didn't offer the guy and he was wanting one. That's not dropping a ball or screwing anything up, it's making a decision not to offer.

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