The Fake Lonnie Finch

Derrick Teegarden - Odessa - Signed in 2010, later moved to WR Cooper Jones - Lone Oak - Signed in 2011, later moved to TE Andrew McNulty - Iowa City, IA - Signed in 2011, never beat out Thompson Brent Osborn - Senatobia, MS - JUCO Signed in 2011, didn't beat out Thompson, conspiracy theorist emerged when McNulty became Derek's backup in 2012 Brock Berglund - Highlands Ranch, CO - Kansas/JUCO, transferred in 2012 - didn't beat out Thompson in 2013, moved along to Divison II Northern Colorado Dajon Williams - Pflugerville - Signed in 2013, didn't beat out Thompson Six signed in the classes after Thompson. None could exploit Derek's broken leg in 2010 to their advantage in 2011. Two were eventually moved to other positions. Osborn graduated and left with eligibility remaining. Berglund quit and went back home. Dajon sat and nursed an injury while McCarney & Co. asked the NCAA for another year for him. Add to that list of those that Thompson trampled under foot Riley Dodge, who transferred to McNeese State in 2011 rather than compete with Thompson for the starting job that season. Riley knew. Riley knew. All were given the ability to compete on equal footing with Derek. But, none could slay him. Derek...he conquered them all. With quiet dignity, he conquered them all, my Mean Green friends and enemies. He conquered them all and delivered unto us a bowl victory. Thank you, Derek. Thank you again.

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Derek came back from a broken leg...and, had his kneecap put back in place during the bowl game. Others...well, they've had strains, and hairline fractures here and there. As stated before: Derek bled for his team. He didn't quit, transfer, or take to twitter or facebook when the coaches signed other quarterbacks to compete against him. He rehabbed, kept working, and kept fending off all challengers. In short, Derek is the man!

Would you accept a bottle on my finest Miller High Life, the Champagne of Beers, instead of salt?

We had a situation where many fans denied - and, still deny - Derek Thompson's greatness. It was more than a little laughable to think his departure would lead us to be competitive against a Charlie Strong-coached defense. And, yet look at the panic that has ensued because we lost to Texas by 31 instead of by 50 or 60, as had been the case in more recent history. Charlie Strong is the new Bob Stoops, I predict. He is a defensive whiz kid who has been handed the reigns to a slumping football giant, as was Stoops when OU hired him. The talent was always there at OU, same at Texas. Many here looked past that. Looked past that Texas has better athletes signed year in and year out. Looked past that we lost a record-setting quarterback, wide receiver, and a running back who climbed pretty high on the all-time rushing charts. Many here expected that to make no difference at all, and that we would magically be able to compete well with Charlie Strong. And, those many are now leveraging the quite predictable loss into their annual discussion about our coaches not knowing what to do on offense. The few of us here that accept reality just like to have those memories of Derek. Hard working. Overcoming injuries. Overcoming all quarterbacks signed to battle him for the position year in and year out. Derek plugging away, not complaining. Going every step of the way with his new coaches who were trying to get an underfunded and largely ignored football program out of the ditch. Derek led the way without being an ass on or off the field. He represented the school very well. And, we should be proud of him and happy about the dedication he, Chancellor, Byrd, and the coaches put into those 2011-2013 seasons that paid off in our second bowl win. Instead, many here continue to puke on the memory of them by assuming that just any old player can be plugged into their positions in 2014 and be expected to compete with the likes of Texas. The truth is, Greer, McNulty, Williams - all QBs currently on the roster - are a long way off from being as good as Derek. They can be someday if they are as dedicated as he was. We are fortunate to play in the C-USun Belt because the learning curve won't be as steep as it would be in a Criminal 5 conference. However, simply losing Derek and Chancellor and Byrd were not going to make us more competitive against traditional Criminal 5 powers - as was proven Saturday night. Kneel down and bow to your rightful King of All Past North Texas Quarterbacks, you football peasants: Long Live Derek Thompson!

He was injured here as well, right? Wasn't that part of the problem? He was injured, Derek beat him out...and, people still clamored for him (although, the British Mean Green fans were "clamouring" for him, not "clamoring" for him): http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/clamour

True. In most cases, a team's backup quarterback will be the most popular player among fans. With UNT, it's the third and fourth team QBs who are most popular with the fans. Me? I'm crazy. I spend the days out selling or in the office...selling. It prohibits me from seeing as much of the practices as the coaches. And, I get very little time in the film and study rooms with the players and coaches. Therefore, I'm always stuck just having to trust coaches who have been to multiple bowl games and won them at multiple colleges. Some the coaches even have national title rings. And, yet, I'm still stuck having to rely on their judgement. Sometimes, I don't think the coaches even watch the HUDL videos that show of maybe 1% to 3% of any given players' plays in high school. They foolishly keep relying on those darned practices and study and film room sessions to determine who will start and who will sit. Don't they even know about the internet yet, those dumb coaches?

So, you're saying the benches at Northern Colorado might be aluminum these days, not wooden?

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...not winning that starting job at Division II Northern Colorado. http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_26428394/look-whos-back-pearson-propelling-air-force-again "Northern Colorado, coached by Earnest Collins Jr., has another week of practices before opening Sept. 6 in Las Vegas against UNLV. Sean Rubalcaba, a 6-2, 190-pound sophomore from Grand Junction, has jumped to the top of the UNC depth chart at QB." If only McCarney and Canales would have had the foresight to just let Berglund start in spite of being outplayed in practice by Derek Thompson, we'd have gone 14-0 last season, and probably would have beaten Texas by four touchdowns to open 2014.. Now? Now, Berglund will just sit on yet another bench. Another long, wooden bench.

Coker knows what he's doing.

I think we're okay Saturday unless SMU hires Charlie Strong during the week, and all of the Texas players transfer to SMU during the week as well. I know the Criminal 5 can do what they want now. But, the logistics for that scenario don't work well. My guess, then, is that we'll be playing SMU, whose coaching and defense are less than - not greater than or equal to - what Texas currently has. Therefore, I won't panic unless SMU's defense holds us to 94 yards.

Banowsky was a genius. He stole the Sun Belt right out from under the Sun Belt. Then, added some start-ups.

...and aggravate many of you because you are truth-haters: if anyone from North Texas is going to get NFL drafted in 2015, it is James Jones. I'm not saying he will be drafted. Just that if anybody from North Texas is, it will be him. (Get his autograph now before it's too late!)

...the new punter, most of the defense, and Jeffrey Wilson and Reggie Pegram. And, the new helmets.

Lemon doesn't really have the height to be an NFL tackle these days. Unless he lights up his NFL day showing with a great 40 time, he won't be drafted or signed as a free agent. If he does light it up, he'll be signed as a free agent and quickly begin learning how to play guard.

Add OU and LSU to the "is an asswhipping" list. Beyond that, many of you long complaining toothbutts are an asswhipping as well. I'm not T. Boone Pickens yet, so I can't give the athletic department $125 million. Neither can any of you. So, just shut it. It's the same claptrap every year. The ship of dominating football sailed decades ago. Embrace it and set your sights on more realistic goals than beating huge state schools coached by the likes of Charlie Strong. Because of the conference we are in, we will compete for the C-USun Belt title and go to another bowl game. Even then, you'll still be complaining. Complain to your imaginary best friends from here on out, though, because, sheesh...it's gotten really old.

Our 2002 and 2004 bowl teams were both shut out by Texas. So, what are we worried about again? If we can't upset a Big 12 powerhouse, our season is as done as the 2002 and 2004 seasons were? Guys, look... ...the truth is, we still play in the Sun Belt. Yes, it's now called C-USA, and - for the time being - has better bowl tie-ins. But, except for a couple of schools, we're still playing Sun Belt competition. Therefore, what are you worried about? We've been down this road before.

Check yourself. Texas isn't coached by Mack Brown anymore. When Texas hired Strong, I posted that he would have Texas in the Big 12 title hunt in his first season. People scoffed because...well. there are many people here who think football strategy is easy because they can do it on Madden or NCAA by EA Sports. The truth is, Charlie Strong is a legitimate ball breaker. Baylor, as well as the rest of the Big 12, will be sorry that he ever ventured into their conference and replaced the Handclapper in Chief.

I've said many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, times that we should do it like Bill Snyder did it at Kansas State - schedule very winnable games at home for out of conference. Snyder turned around the worst program in America doing that. But, many schools, stick to the easy-money formula. It's hard to teach old dogs new tricks...especially during these daunting times when alumni are impatient about everything.

Without question, we did miss the leadership and overall moxie of record-breaking, bowl MVP Derek Thompson last night. But, what we really missed was playing schools not coached by Charlie Strong.

They need to deal with not having a coaching search after Sumlin left.