Smitty

I know Navy will bring a bunch of people, but this is still impressive. UNT fans have really stuck with the team despite the 1-7 start, and it bodes very well for the future when the wins start coming more often.

Exactly. You don't know for sure but you made the comment anyway. Without any factual basis. And I'm perfectly aware of the "free passes" athletes get. I'm also aware of "free passes" some board members want to allow them to make unsubstantiated comments.

This is a good example. How do you know they received too many free passes? How do you know? You've just maligned these young men's families without any factual basis for your comment.

Another illusion destroyed. First it was the Easter Bunny (he's doing 12 to 15 for bank robbery after a failed hip-hop career), then Santa (he's actually...French), and now this.

Yes, on page 3 of the Sports Section. It ran in the Startlegram, and was on Page 1 of the DRC. I know the story was covered in the first few minutes of the Channel 11 and Channel 8 10 p.m. newscasts last night. Didn't see Channel 5 or 4, so I don't know about them.

But enough about your weekend...

That could be an incredibly tense situation, but it might be a good way to defuse the accusations.

Plus, Evan Fentriss becomes eligible next year after sitting this year for his transfer. That's a lot of weapons for defenses to deal with.

I'm not sure we want to trot out the Cut Throat song to a school that has air power and long-range artillery. I think Boomer might be a little out-gunned.

But why stop there? Let's make the Austin American Statesman a mainly positive promoter of Gov Perry, the Wall Street Journal a mainly positive promoter of investment bankers, and the Washington Post a mainly positive promoter of the federal government! And you'll never in your life actually learn anything that you really need to know! Congratulations, you've discovered blissful ignorance!

Considering Navy just ended a 43-year losing streak and beat Notre Dame (even when they're down) on the road, and considering we're 1-7, I'm not surprised at the line. Navy has a very good offense and our defense has given up a lot of points. But coming off that extraordinary overtime high last week, I wouldn't be surprised if they're a little flat this week. Whether Navy is flat or not, this is a great opportunity for the Mean Green. This is not OU, not a team that is clearly athletically superior, but it is a very good, bowl-quality team. North Texas is home, circling the wagons around their embattled coach, and hopefully buoyed by a big, vocal crowd. This is could be one of those moments when a team steps up and makes its own statement. I'm hoping this game will be a little like the New Orleans Bowl against Cincinnati. That was a statement game for that group of athletes, who stated very clearly that they did belong in a bowl game and should be taken seriously. Man, how much would this help this program if the Mean Green could win this week? A boost to the coaches, the team, the fans, recruiting, everything. What a great opportunity.

I believe the press has been fair and balanced thus far. HOWEVER, there is a critical step which the press needs to take: follow this story to conclusion. Don't let this drift off the radar and fade away, because the media has a really bad habit of doing just that. It is completely reasonable to expect the media to keep after this story, and specifically to keep after the NAACP until its investigation is completed and the results of the investigation are made public. In a situation this volatile, it's not acceptable for any investigating body to drag its feet or fail to release its conclusions. The accusations have been made public, so a public conclusion is called for. I do not know if the NAACP would or would not announce their findings if those findings were negative. But if they conclude that no racism took place, then that damn well needs to come out. The media needs to stay at this and keep asking questions until they get answers. Gentle prodding - IN RESPECTFUL TONES - of the press to keep asking questions is appropriate. The media does sometimes listen to its readers. They tune out angry, fist-shaking, conspiratorial rants, but reasonable and intelligent opinions are at least listened to. So keep up the drum beat - the DRC and other media need to keep asking questions. And if the DRC fails to pursue this story, or fails to publish the conclusion on Page 1, then, yes, that would unquestionably be unfair and unbalanced coverage.

I agree with you. We would do well to remember that racism is not a matter of fact, it's a matter of perception. What is racist to one may not be racist to another, and to project evil intent upon these young men is presumptuous. Too many people on this board are guilty of just what they are accusing these players of doing - making rash, uninformed, and slanderous accusations. From what I've seen and heard reported so far, these accusations certainly appear unfounded. But I don't know the players and I don't know the letter writer, and I won't be so arrogant as to say I know what is in their hearts.

So how will all the coaching changes impact UNT's recruiting? Does A&M and SMU's uncertainty help us this year? That may depend on who the Aggies and Mustangs hire, and how quickly they hire them.

After all the years of Nebraska embarrassing KU, there is a certain justice in Kansas scoring most points ever allowed by the Huskers.

Oh, yeah, that will help the team's publicity. I really hope you're being sarcastic. If not, that's an absurdly ridiculous comment. The reporting I have seen has been fair and balanced, and there have been more than a few editorial comments in the media - broadcast and print - supporting Coach Dodge. I have heard no editorials condemning Coach Dodge or calling for his suspension or ouster. In similar circumstances elsewhere, coaches have been barbequed at the first suggestion of racism. That has not happened here. The media has been responsible and restrained thus far. This criticism of the DRC is a classic example of shooting the messenger.

Navy stuffs a two-point conversion and wins, 46-44, in overtime. First win over Notre Dame in 43 years. Congratulations, Navy. What are the chances they come in here next week a little flat?

Yeah, somebody better block Navy's #34 next week. For those who didn't see it, he leapt OVER a Notre Dame blocker to sack the Irish QB on fourth down. WOW.

Final, Georgia 44, Troy 34. Troy had 488 yards total offense.

Troy is hanging with Georgia. Scored 10 in the third quarter to draw within 27-20, late third quarter.

Enough people do buy what the media sells to keep it selling the same old crap. And you are right, the media is not held accountable. The only way to do that is to not support bad journalism. I guarantee that if enough people did that, we'd have a lot fewer National Enquirers and a lot more solid reporting.

Your said it yourself: it attracts readers/viewers. The press likes sensation? Only because the public BUYS sensation. The public doesn't buy vindication. The sensation story on Page 1 sells. The vindication story on Page 1 does not. You want to know who to blame for the National Enquirer? Everyone who buys it. Oh, the media is supposed to be above such considerations? They're supposed to be public servants? Well how do you do that when you're out of business? With a very few exceptions (such as the Wall Street Journal), media outlets that escew sensation usually fail. The media is a direct reflection of the public, and the public makes the media what it is by supporting sensation.

This would have been a much bigger story if it featured current players. It's impact is diminshed when it's about players who worked with him fifteen years ago. These are character witnesses - they can't directly address the current accusations and situations, but can only say he was a good guy when I knew him. That's probably why it was not page 1.

FIRST AND FOREMOST: there is absolutely nothing that can come out of accusations of racism that will make this ordeal worth it for Coach Dodge, his staff, and the program. Nothing. However, I wonder if something positive that could eventually emerge. First, I hope this situation will bring this team closer together. I do not mean to compare the situations, but look at how the New England Patriots have reacted to the perceived injustice done to their coach and the team's legacy. Even though there is no doubt that Bellichek did cheat, his team has rallied around him and is punishing the entire league every week. Perhaps we will see a similar reaction from the North Texas players. Second, this situation seems to be bringing the fan base back together a bit. The differences between so many of the fans have at least diminished this week, I think in part due to the nature of the accusations, but maybe moreso because we are all starting to realize just what the new staff has had to deal with this year. Installing a new system and teaching it to a team for the first time is tough enough, but it begins to sound like the introduction of increased discipline has been met with some resistance. Resistance from a very, very few players who fail to buy into the system and the staff's implementation of discipline and personal responsibility could easily disrupt a team (look at what T.O. did to the 49ers and Eagles). This is not to make excuses for a 1-7 start, but do I wonder if the disruptive influence of a few has at least contributed to the team's struggles and inconsistency this season, and it seems that a significant task this year is discovering who is on board and who is not. IF these accusations prove to be false, IF the team is brought closer together, and IF the fans' will to stand with the coaches and stay the course is strengthened, then something positive will have come of this. IF these accusations prove to be false, then we need to ROAR our support of the team and coaches when they come onto the field to face Navy. Vocal and visual support the likes of which Fouts Field has never seen. GREEN OUT the stadium. Wear your green, get into the stadium early, and when the team comes out of the tunnel, get on your feet and build the noise to a crescendo that will let the team know we are behind them. Then keep that intensity up throughout the game. But, IF these accusations prove to be false, then nothing can sufficiently compensate Coach Dodge and his staff for enduring this kind of slander. I just hope that there will be a silver lining down the road.

I'm not near the radio. What, specifically, did he say?