The Fake Lonnie Finch

Got your e-mail the other day at work. Don't have any idea what kids' soccer and baseball schedules will look like on April 13th, but mark me down anyway; even if I don't show, I'll send money. I've dropped weight from 193 to 161 over the past 13 months, so mark me down for a Large instead of an X-Large this year. Put "Relámpago Blanco" on the back of the shirt...and don't for get the diacritic acute over the first "a" in Relámpago. Thanky.

True dat...which is why less that 10% in this poll want "North Texas" - less than 6% the "North Texas" we have now. Sorry. It just doesn't look cool. It isn't memorable. It isn't at all interesting. It doesn't get people interested in buying merchandise. It looks like a gigantic give up. It's horribly boring to the outside world...and, to 90%+ of the inside world. And, the craziest thing is, we are supposed to be know as a school with artsy-fartsy types on the north side of the campus...and, this is all we can do for a logo? Worm was fantastic. The Corky Nelson/Scott Davis era helmets were a step in the right direction. A wise thing to do in our move "up" to C-USunBelt would be to change our logo to something attractive, interesting...and desired by people who spend money on t-shirts and hats and whatnot. Such can be done in a fun way by taking these steps that would involve both alumni and student body: -Start a contest now among the student body to come up with a new helmet logo with deadline for entry being the weekend before the spring game. -Ballot the alumni during the spring game. -Ballot the students during the last couple of weeks of school. -Tally and keep secret until fall practice. -Let the student whose design wins do the coin toss before the home opener versus Idaho. Ideas. Water them. Nurture them. Let your dog fertilize them so they can grow.

...on a green helmet.

Interlocking, letters, or abbreviations = 78 Animal, animal related thing, or mascot = 41 Misc./WTF? = 10 Nothing = 6 School Name Spelled Out (Our current helmet) = 5 Team Name = 5 Native American Themed = 2 Now...again...RV's theory that we have to have "North Texas" or people won't know who we are is blantantly ridiculous. If that were the case, the only time people would know who was playing is if Illinois, Tulsa, Troy, Ohio, or us were playing. Almost every school in the country has either letters, the team mascot, or a combination of both on it. Only 20 schools fall outside of that group, 16%. It is not going to kill us to go with a real logo. I'd go for interlocking NT I'd go for SOW I'd go for UNT I'd go for NT or UNT with SOW I'd go for NT or UNT with an Eagle, Eagle head, claw, or wing I'd even go for NORTEX just to be original with an abbreviation, or NORTEX with SOW or an Eagle, Eagle head, claw, or wing. The only thing I'd want spelled out on our helmets ever again would be MEAN GREEN, a nickname that truly is unique. MEAN GREEN with an Eagle, Eagle head, claw, wing, or SOW is also fine. Whatever. We have plenty to work with when you look at what the vast majority of schools do. Just, please...kill off the NORTH TEXAS spelled out.

So, that's - so far - 85% for SOW or Interlocking NT. Is it useless again to post the number of college that use interlocking letters or school letter abreviations? I can't remember the last time I did it, but I think it was over 60% of the schools. Again, countering RV's opinion that we've got to have "North Texas" or people won't know who we are. Interlocking, letters, or abbreviations Akron - both letter and Kangaroo Arizona Arkansas State - abbreviated "A State" Auburn BYU Baylor Bowling Green - both letters and Falcon Buffalo California - abbreviated "Cal" Central Florida Central Michigan Cincinnati - the C made to look like a bearclaw Colorado - letters and Buffalo Connecticut Duke Eastern Michigan FIU - both letters and Panther Florida Atlantic Georgia Georgia Tech Hawaii Houston Idaho - both letter and Vandals Indiana Iowa State Kansas Kent State - both letter and some sort of angry bird head Kentucky LSU - both letters and Tiger head Louisiana Tech - both letter and Louisiana state shape Massachusettes - abreviated "UMass" interlocked Marshall Memphis -both letter and Tiger Miami (FL) Miami (OH) Middle Tennessee - both letters and Horse Minnesota Mississippi - abbreviated "Ole Miss" Mississippi State - abbreviated "M State" Nebraska New Mexico State - abbreviated "NM State" North Carolina North Carolina State Northern Illinois - both letters and Husky head Northwestern Oklahoma Oklahoma State Oregon Pittsburgh - abbreviated "Pitt" Purdue Rice Rutgers San Diego State South Carolina - both letter and Gamecock Southern Mississippi - abbreviated "Southern Miss"...(my nominee for worst helmet in America) Stanford Syracuse TCU - both letters and Horned Frog Temple Tennessee Texas A&M Texas Tech Tulane - both letter and Green Wave UAB - letters and Dragon head UCLA UNLV UTEP - both letters and Pickaxe UTSA - letters and Roadrunner head Utah - both letter and Indian feathers Utah State - abbreviated "U State" Vanderbilt - both letter and Star Virginia - with interlocking swords beneath it Virginia Tech Wake Forest Washington State - letters formed into a Cougar...very stupid looking West Virginia Western Kentucky - both letters and Hand waving a flag? Looks ridiculous Western Michigan - both letter and Bronco head Wisconsin Animal, animal related thing, or mascot Akron - both Kangaroo and letter Arkansas - Razorback hog Ball State - Cardinal head Boise State - Gay looking oversized Bronco head Bowling Green - both Falcon and letters Clemson - Tiger paw Colorado - Buffalo and letters Colorado State - Ram horns East Carolina - Pirate skull and crossbones...basically, a Jolly Roger with an ECU-colored pirate hat on FIU - both Panther and letters Fresno State - Bulldog Iowa - Hawk head Kansas State - Wildcat head Kent State - both somesort of angry bird head and letter LSU - both Tiger head and letters Louisville - Cardinal head Memphis - both Tiger and letter Michigan State - Spartan head Missouri - Tiger head Nevada - Wolf head New Mexico - both Lobo head and team name Northern Illinois - both Husky head and letters Oregon State - both Beaver head and team name SMU - Pony San Jose State - Spartan head South Alabama - Jaguar South Carolina - both Gamecock and letter South Florida - U shaped Bull head Southern Cal - Trojan head TCU - both Horned Frog and letters Texas - Longhorn head Texas State - Bobcat head Toledo - Rocket Tulane - both Green Wave and letter UAB - both Dragon head and letters ULM - Hawk head UTEP - both Pickaxe and letters UTSA - both Roadrunner head and letters Washington State - Cougar formed out of letters...very stupid looking Western Michigan - both Bronco head and letter Wyoming - Cowboy riding a bucking bronco Nothing Army Boston College Navy Notre Dame Ohio State Penn State Team Name Florida - Gators Idaho - both Vandals and letter Louisiana - Ragin' Cajuns New Mexico - both team name and Lobo head Oregon State - both team name and Beaver head School Name Spelled Out (Our current helmet) Illinois North Texas Ohio Tulsa Troy - both school name and Shield and Swords...very Dungeons and Dragons Native American Themed Florida State - Spear with two feathers Utah - both letter and two feathers Misc./WTF? Air Force - Lightning bolt Alabama - Uniform number of players...fine because what is a Crimson Tide anyway? Arizona State - Trident...looks dumb Maryland - Some concoction for their ugly state flag. Screw Maryland...it's a fake basketball program school anyway Louisiana Tech - both Lousiana state shape and letter Michigan - That gay yellow thing they have with the three stripes. Yeah, I said, "gay" and I meant "gay." Middle Tennessee - both Horse and letters Troy - both Shield and Swords and school name Vanderbilt - both Star and letter Western Kentucky - both Hand waving flag and letters...awful, please remove the stupid hand

By the way, this isn't just an idictment of us. Look at Texas and Oklahoma's run defense of late; both have been bad. I accept that defensive linemen are difficult to find. But...a ten year drought? This is where coaches not named Nick Saban have to be really creative in their defensive game plans. If you don't have the hosses up front, and know you are not going to have them, what are you doing in your scheme to create that pressure to disrupt the offense's timing play in and play out?

Run defense: -ranked #64 in the country last year, giving up 163.25 per game -ranked #102 in the country in yard per attempt allowed, giving up 4.97 per attempt When team needed to run against us last year, they were able to do so. Pass defense -ranked #87 in the country last year, giving up 251.5 per game -ranked #87 in sacks, 1.58 per game The pressure wasn't great, so teams were able to throw on us. Again, I'm of the school that says "coverage sacks" are largely baloney. Your defense is either disrupting the opposing offense's timing or it isn't. The offense has the advantage on each play because it knows where the play is designed to go. If you are not knocking receivers off their routes, and pushing the o-line into the quarterback and his blockers, receivers will eventually get open. You could have all receivers covered and still not get a sack, i.e., when the quarterback then runs for positive yardage despite the coverage, or dumps off a pass for positive yardage to a running back, H-back, or tight end, schemed to block a little then release. Consistent successful pressure prevents the quarterback from doing any of the three. Pressure prevents him from going through his reads, it seals off any exit he might have, and it is fast enough to eliminate releasing blockers who are eligible to receive. So, what does it all mean? It goes back to the very basic tenet of football which says, "The team able to dominate the line wins the game." We do not have players dominating the line. Have we really had a defensive linemen since the Brandon Kennedy era where an offense was forced to account for one of our defensive linemen on every play with more than one blocker? Include everyone in the analysis - Dickey last squads, Dodge's, the two so far under McCarney. We just haven't been good enough on the line. We have a couple of big bodies - but are they just that, or are they dangerous enough to warrant two blockers, play in and play out? I still don't think we have a defensive lineman of that stature.

If you haven't completed yours, here's the link: http://www.meangreensports.com/quest/Questionaire.dbml?&QID=171821&DB_OEM_ID=1800 Stats, achievements of all on the ballot: http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1800&ATCLID=206099562&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=1800&DB_LANG=C&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT= Here is how I voted: QB (choose one) Scott Davis - I'll admit bias here because he was the QB at Berkner when I was there. But, he had a winning record at UNT. And, I'll never forget the best game of my UNT studenthood - the home win over SMU, October 6, 1990. Thank you, Scott! Go Rams! Go Mean Green! Wins over Texas Tech, Rice, and Texas in 1988...all on the road! Yes, I give him credit for 1988 Texas. We were screwed and Texas knows it. His record says 26-20...I say, 27-19. RB (choose three) Abner Haynes, Patrick Cobbs, and Lanc Dunbar WR (choose two) John Love, Johnny Quinn TE (choose one) Andy Blount...torn here because TE is where they have Brian Waters listed. He had a fantastic NFL career as an OL. From a production standpoint, though, in college, it was Blount for me. Waters, no doubt, will be a sentimental favorite. He's easily one of the top five former Mean Green NFLers (Abner Haynes, Spider Lockhart, Joe Greene, and Willie Parker rounding out my Mean Green/NFL top five.) OL (choose five) Jim Cooper, Bill Bishop, Glen Holloway, Willie Parker, Scott Bowles DL (choose four) Joe Greene, Tony Elliot, Cedric Hardeman, Brandon Kennedy LB (choose four) Lance White (bias here, our families have church connection), Byron Gross, Brad Kassell, Cody Spencer DB (choose four) Spider Lockhart, Beasley Reece, Leonard Dunlap, J.T. Smith P (choose one) Toby Gowin PK (choose one) Garrett Courtney Return Specialist (choose one) Broderick McGrew Coach (choose one) Odus Mitchell This is a fun ballot. Lot of memories here. You look at it and realize all of the good players that have been here. How many great one before we took the dive down to I-AA. Just crazy the talented guys that went on to the NFL in 60s and 70s. I'll never understand dropping down. Anyway, this is a chance to remember those guys and credit them for the work they put in before the school turned its back on their program.

It is important to note that insurance coverage will be compromised, if not voided all together, if chapters or individuals are found to be in violation of the FIPG Risk Management Policy. It would be interesting to see what the Exclusions are, based on that caveat at the end. When people ask me what their policy covers, I always tell them, "It covers whatever is not excluded." And, that's the truth. Read any of your insurance policies and you'll find how broad or narrow it is based on exclusions. The insurance policy, like the Lord, giveth and taketh away. 93-98: The channel of a lawsuit extends to whomever is named in a lawsuit. Anyone can be sued. Whether or not they are liable is another story. But, you don't have the option to not participate in a lawsuit once you are named. What UNT has done, as stated at the outset, is give itself a written document to take to a court and remove themselves from lawsuits involving alcohol consumption involving Frats. It's a smart risk management move; but, even going to court to extract yourself from a lawsuit takes money and time.

An umbrella policy has to have a policy underneath it. I'm assuming that the "risk management policy." So, you weren't totally self-insured. It sounds like you all had a self-insured retention where the insurer's dollars kicked in after it was exhausted, with an umbrella over it all to cover things such as damages for mental anguish that underlying policies often exclude. With money as scarce as it is these days for universities due to constant budget cuts, I'd be shocked if most schools didn't already have such a policy in place. When you are scrapping for money, the last thing you want to do is have to reserve some of it for knuckleheads. The truth is, anyone injured on university property or at a university event can sue the school. This policy just tries to narrow the liability. The school - or, it's insurer, depending on their risk management agreements - will still have to spend/waste money just to get out of the suit.

Well, if it means so much to Greek alumni, just have an attorney amongst them (surely some Greek alum became an attorney along the way) draw up a hold harmless agreement to the effect that any alcohol-realted injury to a Greek will be covered by whatever risk management mechanism the Greeks have in place... ...then watch as underwriters laugh at them when they try get to liability insurance with said hold harmless agreement in place to cover it. The only other answer, really, is for the Greeks to self-insure. That will mean the Greek alumni putting up the cash to do so or shutting up. Gosh, being an adult and having to face responsibility for drunken college kids sucks. Gah, just don't understand why an institution of higher learning won't readily and willingly agree to take on the liability of 18-22 year old drunken male students. The world is so confusing and hostile to drunks. It's not fair. Can't Barak Obama write an executive order forcing schools to accept and cover the liability caused by drunken Frat members? It's such an important issue. I think this also shows how far out of whack the priorities of colleges and universities are these days. They waste so much time educating and trying to get money from alumni and legislatures for the said purpose of educating when what they should really be worried about is whether a group of 40-100 males can get their medical bills paid for by somebody else when they get drunk and injure themselves and others.

Oldstudentguy is 114% correct. It's a liability issue. UNT now has something official is can take into discovery, depositions, and court and say, "Look, here is our written policy forbidding this type of behavior. Said Frat ignored it. Grant us summary judgement on our request to be released from the suit, your honor. The proper party for the death/paralysis/maiming of the drunken Frat member is the Frat that didn't obey the rules of the University." And, that...it that. Whether they will or will not drink is the last thing the University is worried about. The first is its own liablity and the ability to transfer risk to insurers based on their risk management program. I can guaran-damn-tee you that one of their insurers' risk control or claims (or, both) people told (er..."suggested") to them that they put such policy in place. "We're serious about underage drinking," said Kelley Reese, a UNT spokeswoman. Baloney. What they are serious about is their insurer chewing their asses out after they reported the incident as a potential claim and discovered they did not have such ban in place already. The first thing they teach you when you go into insurance is: Rule #1 - The goal of the insurance company is to make money. It's not a charity or government agency. They won't sit arond an underwriting or claims office and blow it off, "Oh...just another drunk kid. Gosh, can't do anything about that. May as well not even try." Insurance companies are not politicians giving into every whim of society for the sake of popularity. They are going to make money for their shareholders and guard their financial rating and strength. So, they will not long tolerate risks that don't take risk management seriously. I've seen it firsthand. Also, if UNT lied on every application on the little Yes/No check box question that asks whether or not they have an alcohol ban on campus, and this incident has now occurred, insurance company will cancel them midterm...and, they'll have to report when they try to get a new policy that their last policy was cancelled for lying on the prior application. If that is the scenario, their market will narrow significantly, and the price to procure coverage at all will be much higher. In that case, it could be that they can't get coverage at all. And, when you can get no liability coverage from an insurer, guess what...you are now your own insurer with your own cash and assets on the line for the plaintiffs attorney and 12 "jury of your peers" who present and hear the case of the college student killed/paralyzed/maimed because of the actions of a Frat UNT happily allows to serve alcohol. And, in this world, the last thing any institution scrapping for money wants is its own cash and assets acting as the limit of insurance. It is much preferable to have then insurance company write the settlement and claims checks out than to do it out of your own checkbook.

And, I'll say more... ...we have a big problem with depth and talent on the defensive line and everyone around Denton - UNT football coaching staff included - seems to be in a fog about it.

I'm always confused when I hear that Dickey hated to pass...and, yet we slobber all over Scott Hall and Johnny Quinn as our best ever QB-WR tandem. But, people confusing their hindsight with reality is a discussion for another day... ...what we are discussing to today is the absurdity of thinking the success of the 2013 season will be on the QB. It won't matter if Jesus Christ himself descends to play quarterback for us in 2013 - if we don't have a defensive that can stop the run or defend the pass, we will be having our butts kicked weekly anyway. People pout and preen on and on about Derek Thompson. Bag on Derek all you want. If the defense doesn't do its job in 2013, this thing ain't getting off the ground no matter what happens on the offensive side of the ball.

Let him run. We'll have a 21st Century Ironhead Heyward, who went 5'11", 260.

Right on. We need playmaking wide receivers. Also, TCU might or might not do well in the Big 12. As it was, they barely broke even in their initial season, and had a losing record in conferece. I said long ago that they wouldn't be able to compete there and do as well as they did in the MWC, and I stand by it. They will be mediocre at best in the Big 12 for as long as Texas decides to keep the conference together. He has just as good a shot at playing in a mid-level bowl game with us as he will at TCU in the future. Mark it down. His talk of TCU being in a national title hunt is pure silliness. They won't even sniff a Big 12 title. Also, look at TCU's two-deep at WR...he ain't going to be anywhere near the playing field in 2013 at WR at TCU. If they've told him that, they are lying. Patterson will stick him on the defensive side of the ball: TCU projected two-deep 2013: http://www.frogsowar.com/2013/1/3/3827664/way-to-early-2013-tcu-football-two-deep

Isn't it Brett's job to report stuff? So, he was just doing his job, right? Could he have held the news until after signing day? Who knows. I know this about human nature, though: Treat someone well and they'll be inclined to help you when they can. Dickey got along well with Brett. Dodge tried to treat him like the high school journalism kid. McCarney? Hard to tell. I know not all coaches like the press. But, in the scheme of things, the heat isn't turned up very high at North Texas. In fact, I'd say it's pretty permanently set on warm/lo. Win and treat people well. Until that happens, no one should be complaining about whatever tiny bit of press coverage UNT gets. If it weren't for Brett and the DRC, there would be virtually none.

Here's a former 3A guy:

We know the coaches will take the hit if the season doesn't go well. What I really want to see is whether these three recruiting classes, plus the prep part of Dodge's 2010 class stand up against a little stiffer competition. I don't think any of us expected to be playing old Sun Belt foes in 2013 when they originally announced that we were moving to the C-USA. We'll see how badly the players want...or, if they even have the ability to deliver it. I worry on both fronts. Three years ago, I'd have never imagined I'd be in slightest bit worried. I thought we'd see a real uptick in recruiting and on the field product. We're for sure better than we were during the Dodge years. I know things are being done right in the classroom, and that's a huge improvement. After a while, though, you'd really like to see it on the field as well.

Like that Tulsa game on Thanksgiving weekend. We complain so much about Thanksgiving weekend home games. Now, according to us, our attendance average will not be sacrificed because no one wants to watch football on Thanksgiving weekend.

A&M blowing up didn't help OU or Texas this year. But, we'll see how far they go. I suspect many SEC schools assumed they be as big a pushover as they were in the Big 12 and didn't take them seriously enough. Throw in a freshman QB, and they didn't take it seriously enough. I'll be impressed if they can repeat their 2012 success, but I'm not holding my breath. As for OU and Texas...Texas needs a QB and some real playmakers. That kid from Aledo didn't exactly knock the socks of the college level guys like he did in his mediocre high school division. They also lack playmakers at WR. Their defense is pathetic. Ditto OU. Yeah they went 10-3, but look...they couldn't stop the run for jack and could have lost a couple more because of it if West Virginia and TCU didn't suck - one sucking on defense (WV) and the other on offense (TCU). They are desperately hounding 2-star DT recruits to close out their recruiting. They lose their four year starter at QB as well. They'll face an uphill climb. Texas and OU have gotten complacent, there's no other way to say it. A&M caught lightning in a bottle for a season. It trickles down to us being screwed out of some D-line recruits. Still, it's been hard to be impressed with what we've picked up on the line in classes one and two for McCarney anyway. We're in real trouble here if they guy who redshirted this season aren't playing at a higher level than what we have. It's just that simple.

No. As of the 2000 census, more than half of Collin County was comprised of people not born in Texas. I'm sure it's the same way in most major cities and counties in Texas. It's not a difficult concept. It's 2013, not 1963. People have moved from all over the country to Texas because of the economy. They bring their own athletic allegiances with them. I don't know how many times I've posted it, but on the street I live on in Frisco, there are no UT or A&M grads. We've got KU, Mizzou, Oklahoma State, Rice, North Texas, Colorado, and Texas Tech grads. Outside of Austin and College Station, it's just not as big a deal as it used to be for the state. And, certainly not enough to waste even more political time. A good barometer for this "politician" should have been that the Longhorn Network has struggled to get cable providers to jump on board. It's just not a marketable across the board as the Kool Aid drinking UT people thought. UT and A&M could both blow up and dry away as far as I'm concerned. They don't stick their necks out for us, never did. Besides, if enough people cared about "Texas football" at the college level, the Southwest Conference would not have disappeared. So much timewasting navelgazing by the Ags and Horns.

Funny tweets. Policiticians are stupid. And...apparently, this one doesn't get that Texas is so full of non-Texans now that few actually care about A&M or UT.

http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/football-depth-chart.html Looks like three of the four in OU's two-deep graduates. So, they sold them on playing time. Get there and work hard enoug, and you're in from game one of your freshman year. It is a little strange seeing a school like OU hitting the two-star DT field. But, when you're thin, you're thin. You go out and get them...or, at least, you should go out and get them.

That's what a Big Bang creating millions of different types of specie, plant and animal, at random would be, though, wouldn't it, magic? Or, perhaps, miraculous. I'm sure the Christian would go with miraculous. "Poof! (Millions of years of seeing nothing...then, printing press and so forth...then, we're all from space dust monkeys!)" Wow, how could anyone disagree with that? Randomly...millions of times over. "Poof!" I'm just sorry that the millions of randomness's magic miraculous "poof" didn't take hold on Mars...or, Venus...or, Pluto (whatever we classify it as today, so that there are no starving children in third world countries). Earth is so lucky to have been the beneficiary of the millions of random occurrences over the millions of years, eh? Billions and billions of miles in space. Millions and millions of years. Millions and millions of plants and animals...all mysteriously, randomly, merge together to form Earth and everything in and on it. WOW! That's magic! Let's build a rocket ship to the moon and see what's on one of the unlucky spheres. Blah...nothing here but space dust and rocks. Can't every get a decent tomato garden going up here. Then, we'll go to Mars. Ooooooo, Mars. Nothing here either but space dust and rocks and maybe...WATER!?!? Oh Mars! Mars! What happened to you millions and millions of years ago? Was it SUVs that was your downfall? Nuclear war? Cows farting? Coal plants? Greedy oil companies? China? India? Paper and plastic grocery store bags? Oh, Mars! Mars! Give up your magical secrets of life! Why must you await the next magic, mysterious, miraculous, randomly generating millions of species, plant and animal, over millions of years on one planet "poof"? Why? Why, God? Why? "Poof!"