rcade

Why would you think that? Newspapers aren't in the business of keeping things out of the public eye. It's a great shot with lots of drama. Practically looks like a publicity photo from Friday Night Lights.

Interesting cutline too -- the photographer said they "exchanged words." The fact it's happening right next to the prayer circle indicates Dodge was pretty riled up. That's not normally a place I'd throw down. I don't want to play guessing games, but it's hard not to connect the dots between that photo and what happened to FFR.

Somebody on the UNT staff acts like a jackass to a loyal fan in front of his six-year-old child, and the lesson we're supposed to take from it is to clean up our act? What's going on here? Does GoMeanGreen welcome the strong opinions of fans on UNT sports, or are we supposed to moderate our comments for fear of ruffling some feathers among the coaches, players and staff? As far as I'm concerned, they're fortunate this place is around, and it doesn't make sense to read so many people here sounding defensive for what other people post here. It's a fan board. The shrinking violets among the UNT athletic department should avoid the place if they can't handle hearing what's on our minds.

I said this back when Flanagan screamed at the fan in the stands last year, and it's even more true today. Anyone on UNT's football staff who thinks the scrutiny they're getting in Denton is tough isn't cut out for Division I-A college football. They'd be eaten alive at a big school like the ones here in Florida.

This is completely unacceptable, and the staff member who dressed you down in front of your kid couldn't be more wrong. You've been fair in your remarks about the team here on GoMeanGreen.Com, and your support of UNT athletics for 20 years has been exemplary. Dr. Bataille's email address is presweb@pres.admin.unt.edu. I sent her an email about this situation this morning, because I think you're owed an apology and the staff member needs a refresher course in how to treat fans. Leave it to UNT to snatch defeat from the jaws of our first victory. If Coach Dodge has anything to do with this, and it's not some jerk who should have been shown the door along with Coach Dickey, I'm going to be sick.

All the positive thinking in the world ain't worth a fast cornerback. Players aren't idiots, and they aren't wimps either. You really are in the wrong place if you think the hardcore fans on GoMeanGreen.Com should be waving pom-poms after an 0-5 start, lest we hurt the delicate sensibilities of the team.

You're piling it pretty deep here. There are more negative posts than positive ones because there's almost nothing positive to say about how the season has gone so far. Hope for the future doesn't mean fans are obligated to lie about the present. Do you think future recruits and their families have to read this board to find out that the team is one of the worst in Division I-A?

True. But if we are still winless and we lose to them, we have to deserve strong consideration for the National Chumpionship.

Dodge deserves this season to build for next season. You don't bring a coach of his caliber to a program in such bad shape and fire him after one year for on-field performance, no matter how terrible it is. I still think Dodge is the right guy to turn the Mean Green around.

Arkansas ain't in the Belt.

Yep. And I'm psyched about that game. I live near Jacksonville, Fl., and go to Clemson at least once a year with the wife and kids.

I didn't expect this season to be this bad. I'm still on the bandwagon. But I'm glad I brought beer on the bandwagon. At least we'll get the first pick in the draft ...

Look at the bright side, people. The game's not on TV.

Clemson plays tough at Death Valley. They won a national championship and have never left the top 25 for long in the succeeding 20 years. If that isn't a body bag game for UNT, it's pretty close.

We've played 2-3 body bag games a year for the past 10 years. Are we better as a result? I think it makes more sense to play teams we have a realistic chance to beat. Mid-majors and below. And we should play as many former SWC schools as we can.

Hey, H-Town, If you draw the winning ticket, Dick Clark and I will soon be telling you that YOU WON 10 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE PUBLISHER'S CLEARING HOUSE SWEEPSTAKES!

There's also the AAFL, the new pro startup fielding teams in college towns like Gainesville, Fl.

I was on the fence about this until Jenni Carlson's followup column. Coach Gundy wouldn't identify any of the errors in her column, which he said was "three-fourths" wrong. His larger sentiment of defending his player was good, but he did it by picking the easiest whipping boy -- a journalist. And Mr. "Go after me, I'm a man" won't back up his words. I also wonder if the fact she's female had anything to do with how far he blew his top. If I were that quarterback, I'd be cringing at my coach calling me a child who runs home crying to my mother.

To each his own, of course, but the Mighty Quinn is one of the greatest players to come through North Texas. This was a snapshot. It would've been weird to grab a lock of his hair, or something, but even that could be justified if you're trying to clone him.

We talk a lot here about what level of criticism is fair to amateur athletes playing college football. After a sports columnist for the Daily Oklahoman called benched quarterback Bobby Reid a momma's boy who plays scared, Coach Mike Gundy in his postgame press conference launched a three-minute tirade. YouTube video: Original column: http://newsok.com/article/3131543/1190442218 News story: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=276227

He asked them if it was OK to take their picture. The picture wasn't any different than pictures on Quinn's own MySpace page. I don't know who convinced the fan that his photo was creepy, but it sucks to make him sound -- to use your own words -- "obsessed." Quinn obviously had no problem with it. I'll bet he appreciated getting noticed in the crowd.

What's creepy? I saw the post, and it was just a picture of the Mighty Quinn and his girlfriend attending the game.

The Sun Belt has the potential to be a decent regional conference that produces mid-majors who can crack the Top 25. The southeast is a more fertile ground for football than the west, and if North Texas finds itself in the Belt for the next decade, that isn't the nightmare scenario people think it is. If a few schools continue to improve -- Troy, Arkansas State, potentially Middle Tennessee, and Dodge brings North Texas back -- I could see the Belt passing the WAC and MAC and playing at the level of CUSA.

Good point. As much as Meager's throwing, I'm worried about his rotator cuff.

Not really that simple. As long as the eagle logo, eagle shriek and "Fly Like an Eagle" are associated with UNT athletics, we're more than just the name Mean Green. The eagle's subordinate to the Mean Green nickname and we don't call ourselves the Eagles. This might sound unusual to some folks, but it's not that uncommon. An elephant is a minor element of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oakland A's.