Leaderboard

NT gave him a second chance? Don't you realize that about every school in the country would have signed Tony if able. Lets get to all those excuses you cite. Do you think Benford's coaching debate has been anything other than a disaster? I like everyone hopes he turns it around, but if there has been a worst coaching performance than he has this year, I've not seen it. If Mitchell was not here, the team should still be a lot better than it has been. Out of position, sure he is. That is a factor, but not a big excuse. I agree he should be performing better, but I give the Belt a lot more credit than you do. Any team can stop one player the majority of the time. Missing classes, if this is the case; then he is definitely responsible. However, it is hardly a big offense for college athletes and if his punishment is only missing a few minutes of the game, the administration does not think it is a big deal ether. If you don't think Tony's is a big factor in Franklin's stats than there is no use in going any further on that topic. Franklin's hustle and skill are to be applauded. Motor doesn't run hard? It didn't run any harder last year, and he was the best player in the Belt. Mitchell's demeanor leads to lots of criticism, but I see more frustration than I do lack of effort. I hate to have added to all those excuses for Mitchell. I am not into hammering any NT athlete. The truth is everyone is very disappointed in the team, coaches, and Tony this year. If you remove all the hype about Mitchell and just look at this year, he is a 13 pt 8 rb guy who terrorises the opponents inside. On that basis, he is very solid player and no matter what happens this year, he has probably provided more publicity to NT than any athlete in history other than Joe Greene.

No No No Never No No No No Never No Never.

I do not understand all the excuses for Tony. Bad coach, out of position, it is ok for him to miss classes, no one down under is the reason for Roger's success. List goes.on and on. As for as maturity, well he would be halfway through his junior year or in the NBA had things gone as planned at Mizzou. Yes he is a talent, but his motor just stays in idle. And he does not play hard for a school that gave him a second chance so he could get back on his feet after Mizzou. As pointed out, four boards last night. Except for guard, he should be able to play any one of the three other positions on the floor given our level. We are playing in the Sunbelt, not the ACC.

Well Benford like Jones last year is in a box because he has no one else to really play the center position. Mitchell has the body and ability to be a very good center in college, but not the heart. He is pushed around a lot, and doesn't seem to like the crowd around the basket. He spends way too much time around the three point line on both ends of the court. Mitchell is quick for his size but his coordination is not great and despite what Benford's states he is not a good ball handler. The coaches are obviously playing him were they think he helps the team the most. I would really like to see him at the 4 and would greatly limit him on the outside. His outside shooting is not awful, but you are moving your best rebounder away from the basket with a poor rebounding team. I would have Coleman, Niko, and Franklin alternate at the 5, none are close to Mitchell but it would free up Tony some. His game IMO should be defense, rebounding and close to basket offense.

Get the Greeks involved in some sort of a Halloween carnival for kids on "The Hill"?

I know you think he should be putting up about 27 points a game, but he basically anchors the defense. As poor as we have been on D overall -- we are much better when he's in there. How about the segment in the game Thursday when he blocked or altered three shots in about five seconds? He's still our best player.

Man, the gun companies can't even catch a break when they do something to stop mass murder. After all, if banning guns so people can't go all Newtown is the answer, then we absolutely need to keep them out of the hands of the police. I mean, Dorner proved what can happen when you let police own firearms. I know he is a far left hero and all, but if he can kill people with guns, who is to say every other cop won't do the same thing, right? If we are going to ban law abiding citizens from owning guns, why should police (who are supposed to be the most law abiding citizens of all) own guns?

Again, who I communicate with privately is none of your business. I'm not hiding behind a keyboard. I'm in the Mean Green room pre game and will be in Hot Springs. Will you? My picture is posted on this forum with UNT90 right underneath. Is yours? Who is really hiding here? If saying Bemford is a bad coach is your definition of name calling, cruel comments, or an insult, well, guilty as charged, although the evidence suggests its simply the truth. The only one I have ever come close to insulting is Andrew by calling him a basketball idiot. Again, there is ample evidence to show that is just simply a not-so-uncomfortable fact. Look dude, I am criticizing in a very open way. Kram knows me by 1st name, as do many others who don't believe as I do. Again, what about you?

Lets just sing and sit around the camp fire and tell stories about how great other programs are. Because this program is completely irrelevant to everyone, except all 1000 of us

I feel the best thing for UNT basketball is for Tony Mitchell to move on. He's a good kid and a good player...but I'd happily take a player like Odufua, Franklin, Calvin Watson, etc. They work their tails off, give it 100% and aren't lazy and I don't remember seeing them whine. I wish nothing but the best for Tony in his future career...basketball or not.

Imagine what the MOB (if they traveled up here) would do for a half-time show? Something like the "Thriller" video? Maybe the Green Brigade could all dress up like Zombies for the night. Since they wander out on the field prior to lining up for their pre-game show anyway, dressing up like Zombies would make it look much more natural.

Some no name team is playing here today, so I came to check them out. But I digress. I won't say that Arlington's new joint is sub par, but $78 million for this band box? Somebody's got some serious budget 'splainin to do. To their credit, they sell beer in the pedestrian concessions. No velvet ropes necessary!

Love me? Can I strut around with my green peacock feathers now? But seriously, when I came on this board nearly five years ago, somebody told me that I would make lifelong friends following UNT athletics. For all the trials, tribulations, losses, crappy uniforms, and arguments we go through, I am so glad I chose UNT for grad school, and I'm thankful for all of you that I've met through this thing we call sports. We fight, we call each other names, we challenge each other, but we all strive for the same thing, and we eat, we drink, we weep in the common cause. I'd have this no other way. Cheers, Mean Green Nation!

Well said, ragpicker.

UTA is the last team in my 4 game parlay #gomavs

I think by your standard that, yes, you have an accurate assessment of who his "fans" are. It turns my stomach to even acknowledge anyone as a fan of this nobody though. My beef is with UNT90's attempt to mix gun control rhetoric (and the ridiculous thought that Dorner is indicative of the dangers of armed law enforcement at large) along with allusions to the "far left" lunatics. It was a blatant attempt to paint the entire left into a corner with the actions (words?) of a select few.

I consider myself a "diehard" fan of nt football and even I can't convince myself to go to the game over going with my wife and daughter trick or treating. I want to be there really badly, but family first. Even if this wasn't Halloween, I would be going solo or with a buddy, because of it being a school night. The pre trick or treating idea is a good one, but most families might choose their neighbors to give their kids candy over drunken tailgaters. Sorry, I'm not usually someone who knocks others ideas, but this is just not a family football night, no matter what you do. That being said, I like the game being on Halloween and regionally televised. I think the students will have a decent turn out and exposure is exposure. Lots of folks will be close to a tv this night and wanting to watch football, I usually stop down for two Texas teams playing when I'm flipping channels and I think others will too. The alumni side will be pretty thin and I know alum will be pissed about having to miss a game, but publicity makes this a win in my opinion. I expect about 17-20k for this game if we've got a decent record and 15k if we don't.

Oh, and I love the flags across the top of the student side idea. Might be hard to get them up on the alumni side with the pressbox and all.

By the hundreds

Yea.... But he ain't being like Lebron James so I think he sucks. If we had a team full of way less talented players we'd be better off cause they try hard.

Ok, let me sum up your entire post. "Son, do you really want to go to a school whose fans react like every other fan base in America when their teams underperform? They have the audacity to complain on a fan message board. Better just quit basketball to avoid ever seeing that."

---Weird... to some if anyone disagrees with them they are considered far left.... any issue... I suppose those of us who hated the debt getting out of control during 2001-2009 era and the hating how the economic conditions were at the end of 2009 [ bank bail-outs, unemployment rising, dropping Dow, home repossessions, etc, ] means we are far left. There were some that thought the police dept. mistreated him and that he had some justification.... I would not call them far left or far right... just idiots. To some the truth is what they want to be true... ignore reality...

That's my point. Neither my wife, or my daughter, have any interest in driving 45 minutes (at minimum) to Denton at 5pm on a Thursday night...a school night no less. And they're in a very very pro-NT family. We (meaning NT) have to start realizing that we are NOT a priority for people yet...look at our attendance in a new stadium...so we have to make the choice to attend games easier and not harder. Otherwise, we'll have plenty of room and quiet to talk to our fellow die hards each home game.

Heck, bring 'em and let them trick or treat in Denton!

Not trying to be negative, promise...but my wife brought up some interesting points. 1)It's Halloween night 2)A LOT of fans don't live in Denton. So, if they work until 5pm, it is pretty much a given that pre-game trick-or-treating is a no go. 3)It's on TV. So, even fans who DO live in Denton won't have to choose. Trick-or-treat, watch the game on TV, get the kids to bed at a decent hour. 4)When has NT athletics promotions EVER put together multiple events to help bolster a potentially weak crowd? Just last year I was told that some games "sell themselves" by our promotions director. Not just my words, echoed by a woman with a moderately higher than passing interest who IS MARRIED TO A DIE HARD. Think of how we are perceived by Joe fence sitter and his wife. I know, I know, I'm just so very negative. But labeling me as a rain cloud and writing off these concerns will only make you feel more "super fan"y when you sit amongst 13,000 of your closest friends on October 31st.

As if to prove my point, my wife said to me at breakfast this morning "we play giant R on Halloween. The game closest to your birthday is big yellow bird head on the 26th". Hard to sell tickets if people don't know who you're playing. And my wife's response to us playing on Halloween night? "Guess we'll miss that one. I'm not gonna make my kid miss trick-or-treating for a football game. And driving 45 minutes on a school night? Not gonna happen". And, no, the Apogee trick-or-treat idea didn't fly either. We sold our souls for regional TV.

Man, I would loooooove to recruit against us right about now. "Son, before you go signing with North Texas I want you to consider something. They had an NBA caliber kid there and, when their team tanked with a new coach, the fans blamed THE KID for the bad season. Do you really wanna be a part of that?"

Here's how this carousel will go (because we have VERY recent history to use as a predictor) 1)Benford will be back for a few more years. 2)We will suck 3)Recruiting will fall off the map 4)We'll finally get rid of him when it's "cost effective" 5)We'll bring in a new coach. 6)He'll struggle 7)We'll excuse the new coach's struggles with "look at the mess Benford left! We can't expect a quick turnaround....three years at the least" I call it the "Dodge Effect". Only, after it runs another cycle...in basketball this time...we'll call it the "North Texas Effect"

I know you're being (Jesus I hope so) sarcastic but this is, even for you, a new low. A cop killing bastard is a "far left hero"? This is why I can comfortably predict yet another Democrat President in the next election. The right has abandoned all hope of a platform and now simply plays to a vocal minority whose only agenda is to attack any/everything that seems to jive with Obama policies...even if it means painting a lunatic as a "far left hero".

Agree with you. But, that's the cool thing about the tournament. Win it and the "officials" can't do a thing about it. Hello NCAA's...if you win it of course. Big "if".

Forgive the cliche', but those things that go around often come around. It is quite possible that the future will see a return to regionalism and close geographic rivalry. In the meantime SMU seem an enigma in that it seems far more interested in putting fat cat donors in an ever increasing number of private suites than in putting actual bodies in seating sections of Ford Stadium. Such an inverted, top heavy phenomenon will almost certainly collapse under its on weight eventually for that is not college football. It is difficult to tell exactly what it is except, perhaps, some sort of inbred and exclusive private club. Those are, of course, always limited in number by definition.

I was thinking more tmac

Having two years in a row of under .500 teams getting in from your conference would look pretty bad. So yeah, I doubt the belt officials would like it to happen.

Just renewed. Also, on a kinda related note, I just got the little flier card thingy in the mail advertising season tickets. I was VERY excited by the home slate before...but, somehow, seeing the logos of the teams we're bringing into Apogee bumped the happy level up a notch. My ONLY complaint is that the school names aren't included with the logos. UTEP and UTSA are obvious because the logo is the school abbreviation, but I have to hope people know that the Old English "R" is Rice or that the little red bird head is Ball State. Again, minor complaint, I just think this slate has the potential to shatter ticket sales records and we've gotta capitalize!

Seems the idea of winning the SBC conference tourney is the standard. If UNT wins the SBC tourney, this season is a success. Although there is still cause for concern... no matter where you place the blame. Anything less is a failure, because this was the expectation at the beginning of the year. Any high seed in the NCAA tourney and top-25 talk was just hype. That hype had merit, but that wasn't the expectation... that was the hope.

You must be a new Mean Green fan... Welcome to the constant state of disappointment, it's worst than your best friend having sex with your wife. I mean, it's not like most of the fans on here give more to the university than the other 100k alumni in the DFW.. Not to mention most of the fans on this board want the best for their school. You say bitch less and give more, tell that to other programs and they'll laugh in your face

Mitchell had 4 boards tonight. I really, really, really don't like to throw around personal insults on this board. But you're not very smart.

Strong? I was thinking weak!

Stupid is as stupid does. Growing us is hard to do. Time to make some grown up decisions TM. One of the most immature players I have seen in some time. A shame that much physical talent was paired with such a mental midget.

If we won out through Hot Springs, we'd be 17-18 headed to the Dance. Then we'd get one of the First Four games. Say we win that initial round we're .500!!! --- we'd THEN have to play Indiana or something. So, there is basically no way we can finish .500 or above. No way the season can really be salvaged. Though, if we did all of that (in a miracle) I'd almost say it was a decent season. I mean we'd have our first NCAA win and end the season winning 8 of 9.

Say, somehow we pull the SBC championship out of our asses and lose in the first round of the dance is still a disappointment, so no. I could care less what happens in the SBC tourney, to be honest, this season is unforgiveable.

Pointless conversation. 1 & done

no

Correct you are sir...

None of the above...just plain dumb post. You need cookies!

Agreed. We all know you don't live in a trailer. But they may still egg your mom's house.

Well, looks like recruiting is starting to reflect our record. Thanks coach.

Who goes to Halloween parties at 7:30? The game ends just in time for people to partake in the Halloween festivities. Though I predict a drop off in attendance after halftime

That would be great if on National TV! Think of the costumes folks could wear to the game. Little ones are often allowed to "stay up late" on Halloween anyway, so bring 'em to Apogee for the game....could even "trick or Treat" with the little folks early...it is dark at about 5PM that time of year, and then head over to Apogee...a win-win perhaps. Let's see if this becomes official...could be interesting. Think of the great halftime show that could be developed as well. How about we set up "trick or treat" tables at Apogee before the game...safe and fun way to grab some sugar!!!!