untgirl04

Your hyperbole aside, I don't think we need an Oral Roberts from the heavens or any other location - what we need is an organized coach who understands in-game strategy, can identify and lure in assistants who can teach and motivate successfully, and close the deal with recruits as necessary. I think we can both agree on that. I doubt anyone at UNT has promised ANYONE anything at this point, but I do believe that in order for UNT to have due diligence everyone who is interested should be considered - current staff included. I don't think hiring Neinas is a waste of money unless we completely disregard his recommendation. Regardless of who he recommends, we will have benefited from his expertise. I can't speak to UNT's ability to allow others to develop their talents, because I think, up until Dodge to some extent, all of the coaches hired have been set up to fail. I do not have the benefit of many years of UNT history to draw from, but in my years reading this board, and with my own observations, I think it's been a very long learning process for our administration. With a few brief exceptions, the administration has been at odds or at least indifferent to athletics up until halfway through Dickey's tenure. The facilities were inadequate, and the pay was not even competitive. Contrasting that with Dodge, I believe that his pay was climbing towards competitive, and the facilities are vastly improved. However, I think the AD should have taken more of a stand in his staff choices (especially the first few years) when it looked like a red flag, but I think RV has learned from that. While employees are ultimately responsible for their own decisions, a good employer will set guidelines and parameters for employees so that they can have the best chance to succeed. I think the biggest mistake with Dodge was that his mistakes (which in of themselves were not fatal) were not corrected fast enough to allow him to recover.

UNT hired Chuck Neinas to recommend the best coach for our vacancy. If Neinas believes, after researching our candidates, that Canales is the right person for that job, would you still have issue with it? I'm not saying that will be the case - I'm just recommending an open mind. We all seem to have our blinders: It's got to be a 'name' coach or, it's got to be a guy who's built a program, or it's got to be a guy who knows whatever. Frankly, I'd love to see Franchione here, but I will wait to pass judgment on our next coach until I've seen him coach a season. Until then, in my mind, everyone is fair game.

You know, you can't help but like the guy after an article like that.

I don't think so. TAMU is very beatable. Texas has lost two in a row at home, and they're more beatable than they've been in years. Baylor will probably lose to OSU and OU, but OU plays OSU right after the Baylor game, so it's possible that they may be looking ahead. Best guess, Baylor goes 8-4, which is a very respectable season.

*sigh* As fans of this university know, women can successfully contribute to a sports conversation without sounding like a complete moron. Phyllis George Perhaps if some men were kept from posting on message boards without thinking, the messages boards would be a community of fresh ideas, insight, and productive conversation.

How about Les Miles then? LSU fans seem none to happy with his style of winning, despite his record.

I believe he's also the holder for field goals and extra points. With a cast, he may not be able to hold. I hope our backup holder is getting a lot of practice this week...

I actually like the salary structure put in place at UTEP with Mike Price. When they first hired him, his contract was very incentive-laden and much of his salary was determined by game attendance, season ticket sales, etc. I think that might be a good way for North Texas to go. We may not be able to provide the kind of cash initially to give a coach a $1M + salary, but if a coach is very confident in his abilities to turn a program around, he might be willing to go for a $500K - $750K with a sliding scale of bonuses based on incentives.

Hold on. Dodge did not start out with a bad bunch of players. He made poor decisions with the players he had and was unwilling to alter his game plan to suit the talent that was there. True, he did not have the personnel to implement his "wide-open" offense fully at year one, but a good coach recognizes the talent that's there and works with it. Frankly, unless you're Alabama, USC, or Texas, you're a stepping stone program. When a coach is here, he cares about winning and building a winner, or he won't have a job. We all know that if Dodge had been highly successful, he would have wanted to use our program as a stepping stone to a better job as well. The trick is to build up your program until it becomes one of those coveted spots, but to do that, we have to develop a winning tradition with lots of fan/student/community support, provide excellent facilities, and get some TV air time. The AD has made major inroads towards improving support, providing excellent facilities, and getting us some air time. Now we just need that winning tradition. While I can appreciate the very difficult circumstances our team has endured this year, I don't think 4 or 5 Unsportsmanlike Conduct calls in a game is classy. To their credit, the offense didn't give up, and Canales called a good game. But as we've seen with every game in the Dodge era, there were way too many careless mistakes.

I was thinking about the scrimmage that was done along with the item collection for Katrina relief in 2005 - I think it was the Saturday that we were supposed to have the game at LSU, but it got postponed because of the hurricane. It may have been a few days later, but that's immaterial. There were signs up everywhere on campus advertising that there would be a scrimmage, and the players would be available for autographs for those who brought donation items. I was working on campus and going to grad school at the time, so I saw the posters myself. My husband and I were standing on the alumni side after the scrimmage, looking for a few autographs. I saw a few of the players start to head over, and Dickey called them all back and told them to head to the locker room. I'm not suggesting that the players weren't willing to sign autographs. Based on my outsider observations and what I knew of the advertising, it appeared to me that the players knew about the event, but were kept from signing autographs. Maybe I misinterpreted what the players knew, but I know I didn't misinterpret the look RV gave Dickey, and the look he returned after the scrimmage.

I agree for the most part with your first two paragraphs. But when you started talking about the 'real issue' with DD, you lost me. I was there for the Dickey years as a student, and the problem with him was not that he said those things, but that he didn't do anything to help fix them, and in fact, at times made it worse. I recall a practice where the Athletics Department advertised player autographs after the practice/scrimmage. After the practice was over, there were quite a few kids lining up to get autographs, and Dickey just herded his team right to the locker room. RV was furious, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do without getting into a shouting match right there in front of the fans (there was probably one later, though). Dickey constantly berated and belittled the fans, rather than focusing on encouraging them to attend games or give to the program. By contrast, under Dodge I've seen the players much more interactive with fans, and Dodge has most definitely thanked the fans for our support, while encouraging us to do more.

Ok, I'll bite. What do you consider a successful athletic program? I'll even spot you the definition. Since there are 'plenty of schools without football that are doing great,' please name me an athletic program in the state of Texas that is successful without football. I will remind you, however, that without revenue, athletic programs cannot exist. That's why the argument always turns to revenue. The catch-22 at North Texas seems to be that we struggle to get revenue if we don't win.

I gave up on my watching party after the first half, but turned on the game in the car for the ride home. I've never heard that much frustration and disappointment in George and Hank as I did today. That to me, was the real heartbreaker.

Wait... in your first post you bemoaned the lack of success in our other athletic events, and about how the athletic department took money away from other sports. We're not going to win every championship for every sport every year. But despite the successes we've had with Tennis and Basketball this year, you're saying they're worthless? Just out of curiosity since you brought it up in your first post, what sport did you play at North Texas, and for how long?

So RV took all the money from other sports like.... building a softball stadium for women's softball, building a tennis complex for the tennis team. I would say that we have several successful sports besides basketball - golf, tennis is improving, softball is improving, etc. At every football home game, there are promotions for other teams. They offer free tickets to soccer games following a home game if you bring in your football ticket. I listen to KNTU often on my way home from work, and there's always coverage for whatever sports teams are playing. We're actually competing fairly well in the fan department, despite our lackluster football performance on the field. We had a great showing for the Rice game, and we manage to draw decently for each season - and much of that is because of the tailgating atmosphere that RV and his staff have created. I've been going to games since 2002 - have missed only one home game in that span - and can tell you that the gameday experience is VASTLY improved. I don't understand how you think that because RV wanted to fire Dickey after 0-5 that means RV doesn't know how to hire a coach. Everyone wanted RV to fire Dickey after that start, except an influential donor and one of the BOR. And that's why Dickey stayed. Sometimes, an athletic director's options are limited by what he is allowed to do through the administration and other pressures. RV took a risk in hiring Dodge - we knew it, and he knew it. It was a gamble he was hoping would pay off, and since the guy had an endorsement from Bill Parcels, it's not hard to see why you might think you've got something. The sad fact is, until recently, North Texas simply did not have the money to lure most of the proven success coaches. I think Dodge only makes $300K per year, or something like that. Most of your bigtime program coaches make $1 million or more. I wasn't a student on campus for this second attempt at getting the athletic fee passed. But I was on campus for the first. I can tell you that RV personally went to every residence hall that would have him, promoting the fee, answering questions, and encouraging students to vote. He worked very hard, and unfortunately due to some misinformation spread by the opposition, the fee didn't pass. I'm disappointed in my fellow students that we weren't able to push it through. But RV learned an important lesson through that attempt, which was that in order for the fee to pass, it had to be completely endorsed by the students. I can't vouch for RV's involvement personally in the second attempt, but based on the lessons learned from the previous athletic fee bill, my guess is that he wasn't simply sitting on his laurels just hoping the athletic fee would pass. There are those on this board who were instrumental in getting it passed - perhaps they can speak more accurately about RV's involvement. But the bottom line is this: RV's dream when he took over the AD job in 2001 was to build a new stadium. That man has worked tirelessly despite the many naysayers and obstacles in his path. He's not perfect, but he's been a great AD for all of athletics, and a great ambassador for this school.

You build your team around the best players regardless of whether you recruited them or they walked on. I don't care if Baine is a walk on or not. He's been the backup for several years and he's a scholarship athlete. If he can't play then why does he have a scholarship?

Crap.

I agree with you that not all 6 win seasons are created equal. If we went 2-2 in OOC play and were bowl eligible, I think it would be difficult to justify firing Dodge, even if the mandate was 7. Personally, I'd just rather see us win out so we don't have to rehash these questions after every game.

I'm not suggesting that we name either Canales or Deloach immediate head coach. Like you, I've also head that he's not interested in the position. But just because neither Canales nor Deloach has been an HC before, doesn't mean that they have never applied for an HC position. I said that I thought they should be given the opportunity to be interim IF one of them is interested in it. I agree that you have to put blame on Deloach and Canales both for some of the loss. You don't fire Dodge because it's going to make an immediate improvement in the team. You fire him so that you can publicly start the search for his replacement. I think neither Deloach nor Canales are likely to become the next HC, and I think it's likely both will be gone if or when a new HC is hired. But to maintain some sort of consistency during the season, I think one of the assistants should take over.

Regardless of the actual quote in this article or any other, if there is an implied ultimatum for 7 games and RV does not come out and deny it, then he has passively confirmed it. Regardless of if it is or isn't an actual obligation, the perception is there, and likely there in the eyes of the team as well. So you're telling me that if we go (heaven forbid) 0-6, it won't disrupt the team if he's a lame duck. What message does it send to the players (who came to play not just for him, but for the chance to play for a D1 school and for the scholarship)? That the University is serious about competing, and that consistent failure to produce will result in consequences? That in the real world, success is measured by productivity? In the real world, it's employment at will, and that means you can be hired or fired regardless of how good a person you are? I don't dispute that Todd Dodge has been an asset to the program. He has been nothing but respectful of the university and of the administration. He has carried himself with poise despite the negative press. You couldn't ask for a better coach for football PR. However, this is ultimately about financial sustainability. And in this day and age, to make a lot of money in football, you have to win.

Well, there was a direct quote from Dodge in one of the FWST(?) articles at the beginning of the season where he explicitly states that he has to win 7 games. I'm not sure if it's an actual contract or a gentleman's agreement, but given the high nature of publicity (and not just on the Board) and that RV nor Dodge have publicly denied it, I'd say it's pretty likely that there's an understanding. I understand what you're saying about a mid-season firing, but I still think it's the best course of action in this case. If I remember correctly, State of Texas requires a position be posted for a specified amount of time before it can be filled. I say, put in Canales or Deloach as the interim coach, and continue the search. The two coordinators, given their level of experience, I believe at least deserve an equal shot at the HC position if either of them are interested. If one of them turns out to be a pretty successful coach, then just make him full-time. If not, you've given them a bit of experience to put onto the resume, and you've gotten that much further ahead in your search.

Hey, I posted on Tasty's grammar thread and the hubby was in town. It just happens to be a slow minute in the office. But don't worry, that will change, and I'll go back to my lurking.

I agree completely that Dodge should be given every opportunity to win his 7 games. That's the deal he was promised, and even if the losses are frustrating, I believe Dodge should have the opportunity to try. However, I think it may be in the University's and football program's best interest to let Dodge go in the middle of the season if 6 wins becomes unattainable. (I say 6 wins because I could see RV giving Dodge another year with 6 wins, even if the deal is for 7 - especially with the injuries and some close losses.) I am advocating a mid-season coaching change if necessary partially based on the debacle we had with Dickey. I'm in no way suggesting Dodge would march the team out in black uniforms - I believe he's a classy guy with integrity. However, I think it would be very difficult for the players and coaches if Dodge were to become a lame duck. You'd have a lot of challenges with conflicting loyalties, and I think it would really hurt our recruiting. If Dodge is let go during the season, it allows the University to start the new coaching search sooner and get someone in as quickly as possible. Since Dodge had to deal with a considerably shortened recruiting season during his first year (I know, it was partially of his own doing), I think he might even agree. All this being said... I really hope Dodge is able to pull it out and bring us some wins to finish out Fouts.

In my opinion, there should be no distinction between a headline on TV and something in a newspaper. If it's for public consumption it should be formal. Just further proof that texting is erroding the grammatical fabric of communication...

Finally a topic I can really sink my teeth into. To correctly define your issue, it's a preference for active voice. In every genre of American writing, save medical writing (where identifying the actor has legal ramifications), this is the preferred sentence structure because it clearly identifies who is doing what. However, your example of little Billy Jones is really a sentence emphasis issue (stylistic preference rather than a grammatical one). For example, it may be appropriate to have a sentence 'Billy Jones is only ten years old.' if the point of emphasis is that Billy is quite young. Otherwise, 'Ten year-old Billy Jones thinks ice cream should be free.' would put the point of emphasis on the free ice cream. My personal pet peeve is inappropriate usage of the colon (. It's end punctuation, and you should use it just like a period. **This has been a public service announcement from the Writing Police.**