ADLER

UNT-UH Game Shirt

Thanks, close, but I didn't know that FIU's last touchdown would get called back.

Woo-Hoo! I am heading for Apogee.

Unfortunately I believe his prediction is spot-on. Florida International 48 North Texas 16 North Texas has a great running back. FIU has a bigger, stronger, and deeper team that is more experienced, playing at home, and led by a coaching staff that knows how to exploit an opponent's weaknesses. I hope I am wrong, but I think this is going to be chalked up as a "learning experience" for our team.

Plain and simple fact: Brett Vito does a better job covering the Mean Green than any other reporter ever has. We have had several excellent beat writers but none who have provided the amount of information that we currently receive. He has the Mean Green Blog that he updates at least daily, and usually several times more during athletic events. He not only follows recruiting, but proactively contacts just about every player that commits to North Texas. Is Brett a cheerleader for the program, no. Does he have fun jabbing tidbits at the fans concerning the greatness of a certain former coach that we hired from a certain school to the south that shall remain nameless, yes. Frankly, we're spoiled. Brett has won several awards, has an excellent reputation in his industry, and will not be staying at a small regional affiliate paper forever. Brett has established himself as an integral part of our Mean Green family and we are all going to miss his tireless dedication when he's moved on to better opportunities. And it is no fault of Brett Vito if the Dallas Morning News elects not to print the North Texas stories from it's Denton affiliate. They will print them if they perceive that it is something that their readers want, and readers demand stories when their team actually accomplishes something.

Apogee or Pourhouse? I don't think that they are letting fans onto the field to watch the game so you'll have to watch it from the stands. I also believe they are restricting the ability to bring your own refreshments into the stadium. Please, don't get me wrong, because I do appreciate what the Athletic Department staff are doing for the students and general public, but I think the Pourhouse may be a more involving environment for watching (and hearing) the broadcast.

David 'D.J.' Gardner, Per ESPN: 95th best player in country for class of 2011, 21st best shooting guard. ESPN Scouting Report Highlight video This is a unique situation. Gardner has signed a LOI with Mississippi State, and it is unlikely that MSU would release him to go to another SEC team or to regional rival Memphis. This could give a school like North Texas a huge advantage in obtaining his services. Somebody please let Johnny know about this available player.

We have a scholarship to give. We need a big shooting guard. This 6-6 195 kid is now available, and would be able to play this year. guard D.J. Gardner sent home Rivals 4 Star So, how do we get him?

Phil Steele's COLLEGE FOOTBALL has an article about how teams often bounce back after injury plagued years. 2010 Starts Lost To Injury Although North Texas is listed in the top ten for starts lost due to injury, 21 offensive and 16 defensive, it sure seems that there were a lot more than that. Maybe the stats don't consider the reserve players that missed starts due to injury after the initial starters were lost. Can anybody on here prove or disprove Steele's figures?

Golden Panters?

I Can't Believe We're Playing An Airport

Well, sir, it's this rug I had. It really tied the room together.

I wish I could take the credit, but these Peruna's Pink Palace pictures are from the guys over on the CUSA board:

Forget the tournament. Lets play each of those three schools twice each season (home and home) to build basketball Metroplex rivalries. People may enjoy home games, but they are forged into becoming hard-core fans by supporting their team in a hostile environment. Those people become fans for life. The rivalries of Tobacco Road in North Carolina were not formed by those three schools avoiding each other. All three have benefitted by the proximity. UTEP, UNM, and NMSU have all similarly benefitted. They have all been able to establish solid programs in the middle of a desert wasteland that is naturally devoid of basketball talent. Those three schools would not have ever accomplished anything without those rivalries.

Not good, too much police involvement. Seriously, this is a very important family occasion and extremely important to the couple that so lovingly scheduled it during football season. The only way you're really going to get relieved from this obligation is by feigning extreme illness; something between common cold and death, something serious enough that you have to stay home, but not so serious that your wife feels she needs to stay home with you. A good low grade fever, excessive coughing, and a faked upper respiratory infection should do the trick. The hangover and the horse voice will only make the facade more believable when she returns on Sunday. In the immortal words of Sam Kinison, "Lie! Lies are what keep couples together!" That, and licking the alphabet.

After reading that article, I figured that the President, BOR, and AD at Missouri better be doing everything possible to put themselves in position to get that 14th SEC spot. They're not a candidate for PAC 12 expansion in the west and the neighboring Big 10 continues to overlook them to eye Texas, Notre Dame, and eastern schools. I wouldn't be surprised if Missouri jumps at the earliest opportunity to protect it's own interest much like Nebraska and Colorado did last year.

AggieYell.com is now reporting university sources stating that it's a done deal. Elaborate game of smoke & mirrors to scare the Longhorn faithful? Maybe, maybe not. And if really true, how do the dominoes fall?

Louisiana, Tulsa, and probably Arky State.

I hope all your wishes come true this season.

It is looking like Cooley called this one correctly. Jarion Henry didn't enroll at New Mexico in early July as he told the Albuquerque Urinal and Coach Steve Alford is allegedly hinting to boosters that Jarion would not be enrolling at New Mexico. Now, Jarion and the Lobos coaching staff are battling over, of all things, tweeting. Albuquerque Urinal These desert wasteland media outlets, already fueled by a not-so-politically-correct YouTube video made earlier this summer by Henry are having a field day exploiting these Twitter battles.

I have really enjoyed the UTA basketball series and hope that their basketball program, like ours continues to improve. Scott Cross has done an amazing job over the last several seasons and I am sure that he will be able to recruit even better athletes with the new facility and new league. This rivalry has been fun and it has the potential to get a lot better. I only wish that the two schools would play each other home-and-home every season like UTEP and NMSU do. Why not? And while we're at it, why not schedule those games on Saturday nights, include the 'away' game ticket as part of season tickets, and allow students of both schools in free with student ID? Those games would quickly evolve into anticipated events for both schools.

Well Indiana may be the team to beat for Garret Green's services. Like North Texas, the Hoosiers have an extra scholarship to burn. Unlike North Texas, Indiana would use Green as bench depth whereas he'd likely be the starter from day one at North Texas. The question is; does Garret Green want to be an important part of a North Texas team that is expected to achieve record success this season, or have really good seats watching Indiana play?

Here's the CBS web page: CBS on the new Mean Green Stadium

So, we have one 2011-2012 scholarship left, and are somewhat depleted at center with the departure of Ben Knox. This player may be able to address that deficiency: BATON ROUGE – LSU men’s basketball player Garrett Green has decided to transfer to pursue graduate degree opportunities elsewhere, head coach Trent Johnson announced on Monday afternoon. In 2010-11, he averaged 6.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 44.8% from the field. Green averaged 18.0 minutes per game and also led the team in rebounding eight times during the course of the year. As a graduate transfer, the 6-11" 230-lb center will be immediately eligible for the 2011-2012 season. Green to transfer out of LSU Garrett Green Bio

I wouldn't mind having the Kibbie Dome...as a practice facility. It would also be pretty useful attached to the conference and convention center that is planned to replace the Radisson.