TheTastyGreek

Never heard of him. But Earnest Crumbley is the greatest FAU guard of all time.

Not worth rehashing this stuff again, beyond saying that if Todd Dodge wants the coaching equivalent of a Medical Redshirt so that he can get a 5th year, we ought to handle it exactly the same way he handled the same request from Joe Miller. You know... The classy way. It'll make Dodge an even better husband and father.

1) Oklahoma State in 2007. The obvious answer. On a personal level, an early date with my now fiancee, and the first college basketball game she ever attended. Couldn't have gone better, now she's hooked and she was not only willing but insistent that we schedule our wedding around the SBC tournament. 2) The big comeback against Denver in January 2009. Biggest comeback in school history. That was the same day I very improbably passed an Actuarial exam, and I was so shocked and elated I was still sitting in my seat grinning and ecstatic even as we fell behind big in the first half. I figured the day was still a big win for me, and then the team showed a collectively huge pair of horse nuts and absolutely dominated Denver in the second half. It was the perfect topper for a day of highly unlikely and supremely satisfying surprises. Also, this was the first game we played against "Shut Up, Travis" Hallam, and I have a soft spot in my heart for the game for that reason alone. 3) Indiana State in November 2007. The first home game after the OSU win, and a perfectly timed Saturday afternoon tipoff. MeanMag and I were both working graphics (he did ticker/FoxBox, I did primary graphics) for the televised state HS playoffs at Texas Stadium. There was a 10:00 a.m. game and a 7:00 p.m. game that were televised, and a gap in the middle that was just long enough for us to hustle up to Denton in time for tipoff, then get back to Irving in time to get on the air for the night game. It was probably a very stupid decision to try to pull that off, but neither of us wanted to miss the game, especially after that electrifying OSU win earlier in the week. We weren't disappointed for making the effort, either.

You people are out of your minds. Fire Wade Phillips? 1) He hasn't even had a full four years in the job. You have to give a man the chance to really put his program in place and stock the roster with his own players before you really judge him as a coach. 2) He took over a program in shambles. The team hadn't won a playoff game all decade! The cupboard doesn't get any more bare than a decade worth of futility, people. Frankly, Cowboys fans should be smooching Wade's pudgy little beanbag for finally showing them how to win when it matters- the postseason. A coach with his history of success at prior stops deserves respect and the benefit of the doubt. 3) All four losses this year have come by a touchdown or less. This Cowboys team is just four plays away from an undefeated record! 4) The new stadium got built under his watch. I'm not saying Wade deserves ALL the credit, but it certainly didn't get built before he got here. And not for lack of trying, either. 5) I see record breaking attendance and fantastic tailgating every time I take in a Cowboys game. Wade is still drawing fans out to see the game, because TRUE Cowboys fans know that Wade Phillips has what it takes to lead this team to fantastic success. 6) His contract runs through next season, so the Cowboys may as well give him the chance to prove just how great all true fans know he can and will do here. I'm not sure how realistic some of you people are being discussing a termination when the Cowboys are in such dire salary cap circumstances. Money doesn't grow on trees, and a buyout is no insignificant thing to factor in to any decision like this. Frankly, I think anyone who wants to see Wade Phillips fired is an impatient bastard and a pathetic excuse for a "fan" (in capital quotation marks, if that sort of thing is really a thing). If you're calling for Wade Phillips to be fired, you don't ever deserve to see a winning team and I hope you die of smallpox. I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep and I'll catch up on the weekend shenanigans sometime this afternoon. Looks like you've all been very busy talking... Anything interesting happen?

Stefan Huber. Remember what you told us about how he'd be in the boat if anyone ever bothered to offer him a scholarship? How he would have bailed out on any other offers that were on the table if Todd Dodge offered him a chance to come play at North Texas? So, was that a failure of a coach evaluating talent? A failure of a coach to capitalize on an opportunity? Or was Stefan Huber just not a viable D-1 football player? Because Art Briles thought he was good enough for the Big 12. Another year isn't going to teach Dodge how to manage the clock. How to use a timeout. How to have a play ready to go when the game finally resumes after a lengthy injury delay. Injuries aren't the reason that we don't know what we're doing and burn a timeout when we've had several minutes to figure it out because a player was laying on the field hurt. That's not 4 years ago, that's last week. And as for special teams... We're still shanking kickoffs out of bounds, we're still failing to execute extra points. Our punter is 4th in TOTAL PUNTING YARDS. Because he gets to punt CONSTANTLY. In net yardage per punt, he's 51st. Yes. The whole damn unit. Net Punting: North Texas - 91st. (2007: 75th) Punt Returns: North Texas - 108th. (2007: 75th) Kick Returns: North Texas - 62nd. Less terrible, but still the bottom half of NCAA football. (2007: 113th) Punt Return Defense: North Texas - 82nd. (2007: 85th, but allowed fewer yards per return than this year's unit.) Kick Return Defense: North Texas - 47th. Our star unit. The one with no touchbacks and multiple out-of-bounds penalties. (2007: 83rd) So the elements of special teams that have improved in 3 years have been Kickoff Returns (about 3 yards per return, still in the bottom half of D-1) and Kick Return Defense (by a yard and a half, and I don't remember kicks flying out of bounds in 2007). Every year, same story. I can appreciate that you've got a personal fondness for the coach... But just stick to what you said and let the results end the argument.

Stick to what you said last season. If the wins don't come, END OF ARGUMENT. Your impassioned plea for patience might carry more weight if you weren't working from a script that seems to roll out every year around this time.

3 days.

Don't forget Andy Van Slyke sitting down in the outfield and crying like a little girl after it happened. As a kid in Atlanta, seeing Van Slyke completely broken and demoralized after yet ANOTHER brutal series defeat to the Braves was a sadistic joy for me. If the Braves don't own Pittsburgh again like that, the franchise probably doesn't spiral down the tubes the way that it did. Maybe Barry Bonds gets more respect for being an all-around player and doesn't get on the juice to play homerball. Maybe Bobby Bonilla does something in the World Series to make me remember him as something other than the guy who played with Bonds and Van Slyke. Maybe Van Slyke doesn't turn into a pathetic, sobbing woman and saves a fortune on kleenex and tampax. Sid Bream and Francisco Cabrera destroyed that franchise and many of its heroes. It makes me smile to think about the pain and suffering Pittsburgh went through.

Make a trip to San Marcos.

Disagree. I think we're going to own Texas State, even in their house. Heck, we might even outdraw their student section if enough people hop on board the road trip.

I just hope he cleans his room, finishes everything on his plate, mows the lawn... Whatever it is he didn't do last week.

Were we in the country legally? What if the Americans there had gotten injured and needed to take advantage of their health care system? Were they angry about having to talk to the Americans in English? And did those miners have their birth certificates with them when they came up the rescue shaft? Because I've heard persistent rumors that most of them are actually from Venezuela.

If there were a weekend game season ticket package, that would be just fine with me. When people get in the routine of going to all the weekend games, it's very likely they'll start dragging themselves up on weeknights, too. Our team is it's own best advertising, and I think anyone who goes to 7 or 8 games is significantly more likely to sign on for a full year somewhere down the line. And, even if they don't, a few hundred more regular attendees (and a guaranteed revenue stream) on weekends is a win in and of itself.

I've never really liked him or followed any of his teams... He just seems like an ideal fit for what we need right now and what we can reasonably bring in.

I'm actually a federal employee charged with keeping tabs on his subversive activities. Is it inappropriate to participate in the hijacking of your own thread? Also, CBL: Next time I see you, we'll have a catch together or something. FULL CIRCLE. I win at this thread.

1) How many scholarships do those bastards have to give out this year? 2) To borrow the tongue-in-cheek observation from Cooley: Will landing Robinson allow them to lock down the top recruiting haul in the Sun Belt?

I've always evaluated you as more of a "creepy uncle" or "slightly unhinged cousin" than a pure Dad.

That is a damn tragedy. Forget the stadium fund, I'm in for $20 to get you a moving van.

Entertainmart, Movie Trading Company, and Half Price Books.

Take it easy, people. This is why we can't have guest over to visit us. From what I recall, ESPN and Scouts evaluations say the same thing as far as lack of toughness/focus.

I like Leavitt, too. I'd be thrilled if we got him. I don't understand people who want Leavitt while questioning Franchione's character, though. Leavitt hit a kid, lied about it, pressured coaches and players to change their stories, obstructed a university investigation... Still contends he didn't do anything wrong. People deserve a second chance, I'd be ecstatic if he were coaching here next year. But anyone who has character concerns about Franchione should take a long hard look at what got Leavitt fired.

Here's a breakdown from Wikipedia. The emails that got him in trouble are all available on the Dallas Morning news website. Can't find them at the moment, but I saw them up there a few weeks back. Basically, he sent out a newsletter to a bunch of boosters as a stroke job that kept them feeling informed. Mentioned some things he shouldn't have, but a lot of the rumors and scoldings were unjustified. I don't think the guy was in it for the money, considering the letter didn't even cover his website expenses and grossed less than $40k (compared to a $2 million+ salary). A&M wanted him out because he wasn't doing as well as fast against the Big 12 south (during a period when Texas and OU were annual National Championship contenders/winners) as they thought he ought to. But Franchione went 2-3 against TEXAS during a period when the rest of their opponents went a combined 51-8 against them. Finished with an overall winning record there, won in his second year, led them to their best single season win total since 1998 (and more than they've gotten in any year since). 8 jobs, 6 first year winning seasons. 2 second year winning seasons. He's never gone anywhere that he didn't win with whatever the previous coach left him. Alabama- He took over a 3 win team, got 7 in his first year and 10 in his second. TCU- Took a 1-10 team, got 7 in his first year. 8 in his second. 10 in his third. New Mexico- Took over a team that hadn't had more than 4 wins (and only reached that peak twice) in a decade. Second year, winning record. In his final year there, 1997, he got 9 wins, the 2nd highest total in school history and the most they've seen since he left. If we can do better, great. But in my opinion, there isn't a much better fit out there for what we need and what he can do. I wouldn't worry about buyouts with him or anyone else in that league. When someone comes in and turns around a program, their success functions as a built-in buyout. The job is infinitely more appealing to worthy candidates when they're taking over a winning bowl team than when they have to come in and turn around a program like the one we've got now. If it came down to a big buyout vs. getting him (or any similar coach) at a salary we could afford... I'd say give a lot on the buyout price tag in order to secure a lower annual salary.

Well-tanned and very relaxed?

You've got one slot left before I mock your prediction and scold you for being a JJ hater. Big West, SoCon... I don't think you're going to be vindicated. Prepare yourself for the shame of it.

I think that unlisted Penn State offer may actually be Penn. He's listed on an Ivy League recruiting blog as having an offer from them.