The Fake Lonnie Finch

I think Gary Patterson has ended up being ahead of the curve. As NFL teams look for speedier linebackers and safeties, TCU can deliver them. They don't have huge guys, but they are athletic. The days of the bulky, white, Big Ten-type linebacker is going by the wayside. Teams needs speed and TCU's defenses are very fast. Same with Cincinnati. They had six players taken - four on defense, an offensive lineman, and a punter. Three of the Bearkat defenders drafted were defensive backs. The pendulum swings back and forth. The needs for speed will end as soon as someone starts winning with a power running game again. Pittsburgh already bucks the mold of most NFL teams. But, not every NFL team is rushing to copy the Steelers' offense. It ain't flashy right now - even though it's delivering championships. My surprise wasn't just that TCU and Cincy had more go than the UTs, OUs, and Miamis of the world, but that little Abilene Christian had two go. And, Baylor somehow produced the number two players in the entire draft! GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR SMALLER SCHOOLS!

I wouldn't necessarily say that. I think if his 2009 team is another utter failuer and he's replaced, someone would still pick him up as a co-offensive coordinator or full offensive coordinator. The one thing Dodge lacked that guys like Art Briles and Todd Graham didn't was experience at this level. Those guy went from high school to position coaches at I-As. They were able to spend some seasons seeing how it was done and begin to understand the athletic ability at this level on both sides of the ball. They were able to see what does and doesn't work without leanring on the fly - at the expense of some school's fans and alumni base. Dodge didn't have that. He came in having minimal I-AA experience well over a decade before on two losing teams. The game had changed night and day since 1992/93. Back then, every school in Texas was still looking for their Greg Hill or Byron Hanspard. Then came Steve Spurrier and Hal Mumme. By the time Dodge was hired here, every conference had already been exposed to the spread and almost every team a practitioner of it to some degree. I certainly wasn't innovative in 2007 the way it was when Spurrier and Hal Mumme/Mike Leach sprung it on the ACC and SEC in the 1990s. There's a place for Todd Dodge, but it's going to be working his way up the ladder...if he wants to. It could be that another disasterous season at UNT burns him out on the college game and he goes back to high school. I think that would be a shame. I'd like to say Dodge was thrown to the wolves, so to speak. But, he wasn't. He and RV never looked at it that way. They told us football was football and he'd have a football plan, not a college football plan or a high school football plan, but a football plan. Well, it's not working out because there is a difference. And, an NFL plan takes a considerably different plan than a college football plan - just ask Spurrier, Pete Carroll, Bobby Petrino, etc. Dodge has something. Right now, though, it's not as a head coach. He's got two major impediments to success - (1) he's been too loyal to his original coaching staff, even as it failed in many phases, and (2) he's too slow to change or unwilling to change what doesn't work. If he were to spend some time in a position where he was not "the man" it would do him a world of good. But, I wouldn't say he'll never coach again at the FBS-level just because he failed the first time out.

I'll never understand why anyone would oppose something that would bring revenue to its city.

Harry, You're post is 100% correct. Especially as you point out Baylor and SMU. Throw in Rice. During our N.O. Bowl years, those guys weren't getting sniffs early. Tulsa almost went I-AA. Our similarity to them all is that we've all had coaching changes within the past two to three years. However, no matter what the records, it appears that we are the only ones not gaining any traction in recruiting. And, that was one of the big selling points used on us when they asked us to go down this road of experimenting with a high school coach again. It may be beating a dead horse. But, you know what? Why get complacent? You say there's an agena? Yes, there is - demanding better. And, looking around and seeing programs who were worse off than us just a short time ago, but who are getting into the early recruiting game like the UTs and OUs of the world? It shows that better isn't here, off the field or on it. Guys, we've got to win and win this year. Baylor 2001 (Steele): 3-8 2002 (Steele): 3-9 2003 (Morriss): 3-9 2004 (Morriss): 3-8 2005 (Morriss): 5-6 2006 (Morriss): 4-8 2007 (Morriss): 3-9 2008 (Briles): 4-8 SMU 2001 (Cavan): 4-7 2002 (Bennett): 3-9 2003 (Bennett): 0-12 2004 (Bennett): 3-8 2005 (Bennett): 5-6 2006 (Bennett): 6-6 2007 (Bennett): 1-11 2008 (Jones): 1-11 Tulsa 2001 (Burns): 1-10 2002 (Burns): 1-11 2003 (Kragthorpe): 8-5 2004 (Kragthorpe): 4-8 2005 (Kragthorpe): 9-4 2006 (Kragthorpe): 8-5 2007 (Graham): 10-4 2008 (Graham): 11-3 Rice 2001 (Hatfield): 8-4 2002 (Hatfield): 4-7 2003 (Hatfield): 5-7 2004 (Hatfield): 3-8 2005 (Hatfield): 1-10 2006 (Graham): 7-6 2007 (Bailiff): 3-9 2008 (Bailiff): 10-3 Houston 2001 (Dimel): 0-11 2002 (Dimel): 5-7 2003 (Briles): 7-6 2004 (Briles): 3-8 2005 (Briles): 6-6 2006 (Briles): 10-4 2007 (Briles/Thurmond): 8-5 2008 (Sumlin): 8-5 TCU 2001 (Patterson): 6-6 2002 (Patterson): 10-2 2003 (Patterson): 11-2 2004 (Patterson): 5-6 2005 (Patterson): 11-1 2006 (Patterson): 11-2 2007 (Patterson): 8-5 2008 (Patterson): 11-2 UNT 2001 (Dickey): 5-7 2002 (Dickey): 8-5 2003 (Dickey): 9-4 2004 (Dickey): 7-5 2005 (Dickey): 2-9 2006 (Dickey): 3-9 2007 (Dodge): 2-10 2008 (Dodge): 1-11

Many schools with Texas prep verbals aren't BCS - Tulsa, Rice, Houston, TCU...Utah even has one in the books. The point is, the best are already choosing and they're not choosing us. I'd agree if these were sophomore verballing. But, these guys are going to be seniors and everyone is after their signature. This is Todd Dodge's third spring with us, and the recruiting effort doesn't appear to be any different than before.

Here's a good link you may want to put in your favorites. It's shows the 2010 verbals so far. Many of this area's best are already committed...again: http://www.texasfootball.com/index.php?s=&..._well_id=2#post It's not unexpected that OU, LSU, and Michigan already have area players aboard, but middle-of-the-road teams like Tulsa, Kansas, and Missouri also already have area players verballed as well. Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M each have a players from the Denton schools already committed. Arkansas has an offensive lineman from Pilot Point committed. Baylor's got 3 early; Rice 2, SMU 4; TCU and Houston already have 5 each. Of the bigger Texas schools, the Longhorns are almost done with 21 verbals - all from Texas. A&M has 16, 13 from Texas and 3 from Louisiana. Texas Tech has 7, including a DE from Southlake. I trust we have offers on the table, but are just being bypassed before we go into stealth mode in December? In all, 84 commitments from Texas preps have already been made. My guess is that most of them are on the state's Top 100 list, otherwise they wouldn't be sought after so soon.

Bernard Scott. Yeah, the kid went to four colleges: Southeastern Oklahoma, Central Arkansas, Blinn, and ACU. Talented, but troubled, somewhat. Although, when you start reading about the stuff he got in trouble for, it wasn't that bad. No DUIs or drugs or guns. Got caught using his brother's ID once. Drove to his house to stop when police were trying to pull him over instead of just stopping up the road. Another charge dropped for supposedly stealing someone else's IPOD. It all sounds like just poor judgement from time to time, not stuff he planned to do in advance. Maybe being at ACU for a couple of years has helped him. There's not much to do in Abilene, and ACU's conduct restrictions are pretty tight. Although, it's worth noting that both boxer Tex Cobb and "wrestler" Bradshaw played football at ACU in years past, so who knows.

I thought the ACU guys were going to be free agent signees. But, they did well at the combines and post-season all-star games. They must have interviewed well, too. Of course, in Johnny Knox's case, it never hurts to have a 4.29 40 on your resume. If that guy makes the Bears, they could be lining up him and Devin Hester on kick returns...lotta speed. The Central Arkansas had two players sign free agent deals - a QB and a TE. So far, we've had none. I think both of the ACU guys were JUCOs. Gee, someone knows how to evaluate and recruit JUCO talent. Any word on the JUCOs we signed in 2007 when these two inked with ACU?

I'm buying nothing on the offensive side of the ball. The same coaches return with less experienced skill players. Outside of the OL being coached by a bona fide guy, the rest has the potential to be an unmitigated disaster from start to finish. One of the only two things I buy is that the defensive line will be stronger. And, that is simply based on the fact that Mike Nelson was hired. He was with Dan McCarney at Iowa State for 10 years. He and McCarney coached some of the best D-lines in ISU history. You have to be encouraged when you look at McCarney's work currently as the DL coach at Florida, then realize that he and Nelson were gameplanning together for 10 seasons. Hear me now and believe me later, the Mike Nelson hire was the best UNT hire since Hayden Fry. He's a true college football coach with real results on his resume at this level. http://www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?D...p;Q_SEASON=2006 The only other thing I buy is that the special teams will be better. How could it not be? Southlake's former track and field coach isn't coaching the DL or special teams anymore. What a joke. It's hard to believe anyone bought into Robert Drake being able to coach at the collegiate level when his high school duties weren't even football first! It's just yet another example of how insanely naive and unprepared Todd Dodge was to be a head coach at this level. And, sadly, it shows how ridiculously unattached the athletic director was in the initial hiring process. We appear to be the only college in the country that gives "learning curves" to its football program. And, this in an era when - everywhere else - immediate results are expected. The problem, of course, is that every other school isn't just standing still through our "learning curve." It's so poor here that some are even giving Dodge a mulligan on his first recruiting class. For what purpose? To drag out the "learning curve" for an even longer period of time? The season can't get here fast enough. This should be the put up or shut up year for Dodge. Hopefully, the decision makers at UNT see this as well. I doubt it, but a man can hope.

The saddest thing about the country being turned from First World into Second World via legislated socialism is the complete lack of analysis by the majority of the press. The constant and indefinite propping up of the lower class is already bankrupting us. The press merely cheers it on as if something good really is being done. Sad and pathetic all the way around.

From the NFL Draft site: Negatives: Staggering sophomore production influenced by Boise State's offense. Unusual build for a running back, as Johnson has narrow shoulders and hips. Lacks elite timed speed. Runs a bit upright, leading to unnecessary punishment. Struggled with injuries as a sophomore and junior, leading to a decrease in playing time and raising questions about his durability. Has missed all or significant portions of games throughout his career due to a variety of injuries, including a punctured lung, bruised kidneys and torn knee ligaments. Will need an extensive medical check.

McGee's a good player and athlete. The rest of the guys lists are run-of-the-mill. Bomar has great athleticism, but can be a head case. He also plays too wild at times. John Parker Wilson and the others have questionable arm strength. In addition to questionable arm strength, Harrell and Daniel played in gimmicky college offenses that don't translate into pro skills. Daniel has a shot because his college coach has sent guy to the pros before. But, his size and lack of arm strength will probably negate that. The pro game is just so different. The main thing is, and always will be, speed. Speed from every direction in the pros, every week. In college, you can go weeks and weeks without seeing a consistent pass rush. In the NFL, every team has defensive ends who can bring it. There is no week off. And, the speed at corner is sick in the League. Harrell and Daniel dink and dunk skills are nothing in the NFL. When facing the fastest, most consistent teams in their conference - Texas and Oklahoma - Harrell and Daniel didn't fare well. Harrell was 1-2 against both Texas and OU. Daniels never beat either of them, going 0-4 against OU and 0-1 against Texas. The Sooners and Longhorns pummeled Daniels with seemingly little effort. If they couldn't do it against the top teams in their conference with their gimmicky offenses, there's no way they are going to magically be able to do it in the NFL. Mike Leach can be upset about it and rant and rave about it all he wants. But, history isn't on his side. To play quarterback in the League, you actually have to have the size and ability to play quarterback. McGee might have it; Bomar...possibly, but very doubtful. The rest...about a snow ball's chance in hell.

Hmmm. Even though four of their five Heisman Trophy winners were from Oklahoma? Even though each of their seven national titles was won with a non-Texas QB at the helm? I guess we shouldn't be happy about the success of Patrick Cobbs since he was from Oklahoma, not Texas. But, here we go down the pathway of recruiting stupidity again: (1) There is an 85 scholarship limit. So only so many can go to Texas, A&M or any other FBS Texas school. (2) Many people in Texas aren't from Texas, so their loyalties aren't default for the Texas schools. (3) Because many of the FBS schools in Texas aren't traditionally powerful or competitive, no athlete in their right mind would simply go to one just to stay in Texas if he or she has an offer from a better out of state school. Check out the RB and WR brothers that star for Oregon State but are from the Houston area. Do you really think they should have gone to, say, UTEP or Houston when they had offers on the table from a BCS school? Ridiculous. The whole "but they recruit in Texas" thing is just the mentality of jealous fans of Texas schools who, for one reason or another, aren't as successful on the gridirion. These small minded people whine about the LSUs and OUs of the world for cherry-picking the state. Get over it. As long ago as the 1990 census, almost half of the population of the city of Plano was comprised of folks not born in Texas. You think they give a flip about the Texas football schools? Doubtful. In the ensuing two decades, it's likely that 60-65% of suburbs such as Plano are comprised of folks not born in Texas. Their loyalties will likely lie in whatever school they attended back home. They come here for the favorable business and political climate. Football is an afterthought. The whole conversation is Exhibit I-A for why it's stupid for any coach anywhere to come in and declare, "I'm drawing a circle around this region and we're going to own it!" A coaching staff with brains in their heads go after players who can help them no matter where they live - Shelton Gandy in Mississippi and Louisiana anyone? Why didn't Shelton Gandy go out and sign WRs and OLs from Texas JUCOs instead of Louisiana JUCOs? Doesn't Shelton understand that he coaches a school in the state of Texas? Thankfully, Shelton Gandy has a brain in his head and understands you go get the best you can wherever they are.

Why would someone from Auburn even care what was happening at UNT? Answer: Troy is Auburn Lite. Very close in geography. Where Troy's head coach came from. Just another reason to hate Auburn. Other than Bo Jackson, Auburn can perpetually suck it.

Seriously, ya'll. I've never done it, and it only took me about 30 minutes to set up my draft. Again, I hand-picked mine. You don't have to do that. You can have it done automatically, then let it go.

Again, this is where an athletic department earns their stripes...or not. The departments at S. Carolina and CU obviously know what the NCAA expects when the paperwork is filed. Again, and again, and again...the athletic department doesn't just arrange for travel and stand around grinning and being friendly at functions. You need an athletic department that, top to bottom, is competent. Sadly for our athletes, we don't have that.

Hey, we still need teams for this Fantasy Baseball thing. Right now, there are just three of us: Steve Buechele Fighting Finch Bros. UNTLifer Look, you don't have to go crazy with this thing. I've never played fantasy baseball before, and I'll tell you it was easy to set up. In fact, I probably made it harder on myself because I only put guys in my draft who either played high school or college baseball in Texas or who played at colleges from the immediate surrouding states. You can have yahoo do an automatic draft for you - then, you don't have to do anything! I did a mock draft like that and it gave me excellent players. The bottom line is, you're already sitting on your arse and staring at the computer. You can have a baseball team in this fantasy league and be doing basically the same thing. You don't have to be like Bob Sturm and let it consume your life. Just get in their, make up a team name, set the control to automatic...then sit back while I kick your fantasy butt all summer long! So, seven more of you need to, no pun intended, step up to the plate so we can get this thing going.

You're doing it the way is should be done. This article is about people who use the excuse of homeschooling to "unschool" their children. You're not unschooling them. I guess the only reason I'm not on board with homeschooling is I live in Frisco. I'd probably be all for it if I lived in Dallas. The Frisco schools are fine, for the most part. Where we live, it's as close to growing up in a north Dallas suburb in the 70s you'll get - safe, vast majority two-parent homes, involved parents helping the school any way they can, etc.

I caught that, too, and it worried me for two reasons. Either (1) the coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball is as idiotic as some of us believe, or (2) his injuries have taken more of a toll on him than anyone is letting on publicly.

Because we've got two little ones, my wife picks up just about every parenting magazine known to man...and then doesn't read them. Anyway, I picked up one and read an article about idiots who pull their kids out of school to "homeschool" them, yet don't have any set curriculum for them. They just do what they want. In the particular article I read, the lady said when her son was five years old and wanted to shut himself in his bedroom all day and play video games, that was fine. Not surprisingly, the lady declined to tell what her kids were now doing with their lives (all were "graduated" and out of the house). There was a picture of them - face piercings, rubberbanded goatees and all. She did admit that her kids struggled to meet the demands of workplaces and relationships; however, she blamed not her kids, but society for being so narrow-minded. I have misgivings, in general, about homeschooling. I know it's great for many people. But, to me, you need to show that your kids are learning at a rate and pace that is equivalent to kids at regular school. And, yes, I know that most do. However, I don't even see how this "unschooling" can be legal. How can these people be getting away with it is beyond me. To me, it's a form of neglect not to prepare your kids for life beyond your doorway. If a parent doesn't have a duty to have their kids educated, then why are their truancy laws? If a kid wanders out of school, why would it matter? The answer is, of course, it does matter. For their own safety and the good of their future, kids are required to be at school and learn. Anyway, here's a whole website on the lunacy: http://www.unschooling.com/index.shtml Especially, read this essay by an idiot dad who isn't bothered by the fact that his 8-year old can't read yet: http://www.unschooling.com/library/essays/our8yearold.shtml

Also, what is a national publication supposed to do? Pretend that we haven't been 3-21 over the past two years, and without a winning season the last four? Pretend that our best player didn't leave the team? Pretend that we didn't lose our two best receivers? Pretend that all the question marks on the defensive line will magically disappear? All a writer can do is go by what's there. We've got nothing to show. To the nation, we are a school whose defense leaks like a sieve and an offense whose top three players from last season are gone - Vizza, Fitzgerald, and Stickler - and being replaced with very inexperienced fellows. A national publication is supposed to blow sunshine over that? Look, it's the same now as it will ever be in sports - you prove it out on the field. Until we prove it on the field, don't be shocked when national publications simply give a cursory "yeah, whatever" in their previews. As stated before, this team hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt of anyone over the past few seasons. We're now three recruiting classes into this experiment. The time for talk and excuses is over. Shut up and win.

As of 1:21 There was a problem This league is not registered in this game. (Error #272) With the new and old ID

Black jerseys, with white numbers, letter, and green trim. Ready...GO!

It can be used for marketing, and it is at most schools. But, we've got nothing to sell except the collegiate athletic equivalent of a bag full of magic beans - the hope of a new stadium someday...if we can get the money. Besides, it's not about the fans here; it's about keeping the newfound "tight end" position a secret from the rest of the college world. Boy, howdy. It's also laughable to to think Texas, Nebraksa, OU, Alabama, etc. aren't selling stuff and marketing to their fans when tens of thousands show up for their spring games. More likely than not, they're hawking every stitch of clothing and memorabilia they can find. I'd also bet their ticket offices are prominently open for business the day of their spring games.

(1) Upperclassmen requested black uniforms. (2) Request denied, black pants compromise (3) After further discussion, RV grudgingly gives verbal okay for black shirts (4) RV then doesn't order the black shirts he grudgingly said he'd get (5) RV then sandbags DD when asked about the black shirts RV grudgingly said he'd get (6) Black shirts unordered, DD buys the shirts himself That is according to Stebo. So, following Stebo's sequence, RV made a promise and didn't keep it. It's crystal clear: Problem - two egos In the middle - upperclassmen who had helped deliver the school rare conference titles and bowl appearances during their tenure and wanted to wear a black uniform Winner - no one Loser - the fans who then (1) chose up sides either defending RV or DD, and then (2) got stuck with a coaching staff comprised almost totally of high school coaches which producing a 3-21 record over the ensuing two seasons - taking two years to win as many games as DD did in his final season. DD went on to become offensive coordinator of a school one notch up the conference chain who went 5-19 over the same time period UNT was going 3-21. He then scores another offensive coordinator gig yet another notch further up the conference chain at a school truly middle-of-the-road school. UNT, meanwhile, finally has the defensive half of the team fully coached by college coaches. So, I guess there's progress for both since the bitter end - or, what passes for progress at downtrodden outposts such as UNT.