Smitty

It will be a hell of lot tastier than what we're eating this year.

Who is not supporting this team? Sure, people have posted rants, but can you blame them? You said it yourself Rick, "This has to be the most sickening football season in history for North Texas and it could argueably rank second to that of the death penalty debacle at SMU in the 80's." You've posted strong criticism, too, and I don't blame you. Can you blame anyone for being disgusted? It's easy to post online that you won't be back, but no one has jumped ship yet. Look at last week. The support is there. The fact is that an 0-8 team that is giving up 50 points a game and losing by 33 points a game drew a crowd of 18,000 last week. 18,000. An 0-8 team from second-level conference drew 18,000? And this program was certainly supported by the students who voted for the stadium. If that's not support then I don't know what is. You don't want the "head in the sand" speech, KRAM? Well some of us are tired of the blind-faith Pollyanna shtick in the face of "the most sickening football season in history for North Texas." We're all supporting this program with our time and passion and money. People are posting because they care. If they didn't care these pages would be empty. If attendance dips on November 29, it will be predominantly because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Yes, some may turn away from this program, but many of us will be there on November 29. No gut check needed.

I've seen a lot of criticism of the coaches, but I have not seen suggestions that they're not trying. I think everyone here believes the coaches are trying, and everyone - from those calling for Dodge's head to those calling for him to stay - want the same thing: North Texas victories. There have been strong criticisms of how Dodge has coached, but I don't think anyone has suggested that the coaches are simply waiting to be fired. And most of those criticisms are at least based on observation. You admit that you haven't seen the team play, yet you suggest the players may be selfish? You indict an entire team that you have not seen play? Do you review books you haven't read, movies you haven't watched, or music you haven't heard? I know you played and you now coach, but I don't see how that gives you the extra insight to evaluate a team that you have not seen play. That suggestion is unfair.

Maybe...because it is the worst start in the history of the program? And doesn't this little misadventure just compound that worst start? For the love of Mike Doocy, it's not Vito's job or Phillips's job to paint Dodge in a positive or negative light. The story does all the painting, two coats worth. That Phillips appears to be trying to put a positive spin on things is to his detriment as a reporter. That is not his job. By your own words "Cheerleader? I don't know, possibly" you have indicted Phillips's work. However, I understand that Phillips, who clearly got beat on this story, is looking for a different approach. He's in second place, so he's coming at it from a different angle, so maybe that's the reason for his approach. And that approach may have been dictated by the quotes he got from Dodge, so I will give Phillips the benefit of the doubt. But Vito's reporting was solid and professional. He did his job and he deserves credit, not insults.

Amazing. North Texas has single-handedly elevated the rest of the Sun Belt conference out of the Bottom 10.

The athletic department wants positive press? THEN DO SOMETHING POSITIVE! And I don't mean positive drug tests. It is interesting that no one has questioned a single word of Vito's story as being untrue. Not one word. So let's attack the reporter and call him biased and say he has an axe to grind because we don't like the facts. HOW DARE VITO REPORT THE TRUTH! WE DON'T LIKE THE TRUTH! I've said it before, some fans don't want reporters, they want cheerleaders.

If Todd Dodge can't deal with Vito and this board, then he better forget ever coaching in the Big 12 or the Big Ten or the SEC or the Big East or the PAC 10, etc. etc. etc. Cause this is the minor leagues of press attention and fan scrutiny.

Do you have evidence that it's upper classmen? If you do, go the mods with it before you post it. Otherwise, zip it. And again, who is not supporting UNT? What, no one can express an opposing opinion? Would you prefer lip service over people attending games? We were there last week and the game before that and the game before that, and that's the only support that really matters.

Back a sports writer? Vito doesn't need any backing. He's doing his job. Some don't want to hear bad news, but a good journalist doesn't care if you want to hear bad news or good news. This was news, and he reported it. And don't throw up this "support Dodge" bullshit. He's 2-18, his team is losing by 33 points a game, his team is giving up 50 points a game, he's got the worst team in Division I-A, and yet the students approved paying for a new stadium and 18,000 people attended the game last week. That IS support.

Remember, drugs and grammar don't mix.

Coincidentally, I've been known to cackle maniacally when I stroke the fluffy kitten in my lap. I just don't call it a fluffy kitten, but to each his own.

Try gouging that image from your mind, Cerebus.

Today perhaps not the best day to use that phrase.

When Troy Phillips wrote that this weekend, I wonder if he knew just how true that comment would be today.

I agree that a tremendous amount of good will was built, but how much of that survives? How difficult did it just get to raise large contributions for the stadium? How difficult did it just get to recruit kids to this program? Do any changes need to be made? How does the University respond to this?

UNT has the stadium vote in hand, but the drive to raise more money is about to really begin. The football program to which that fund-raising is inevitably tied is now at as low a point as I can remember. Dreadful on-field results. Rumors about relations between coaches. And now a huge team drug problem to which the head coach says “I don’t think we have a problem with drugs." The national publicity is already bad, and it's about to get much, much worse. North Texas is the punch line of college football. It's not just about building a team, it's about building a stadium and a program. Show me the corporate sponsor who wants to be a part of this mess. How many potential contributors just went running for cover? And how does this coach recruit in the glare of this kind of scandal? Can you build this program and raise money for the stadium around a coach whose team is losing by 33 points a game, whose team is allowing fifty points a game, with rumors swirling of problems within the lockerroom (those rumors may not be fair or accurate, but they exist), and who now says “I don’t think we have a problem with drugs" when fifteen of his players just tested positive? Maybe it's not fair to lay it all on the head coach, and maybe he does deserve four years. But right or wrong, fair or unfair, is Todd Dodge now too radioactive to keep his job?

...but scored just 23 points. 31 first downs but only 23 points, and 14 of those points came in the fourth quarter after the game was out of reach. Where was the offense in the first half when ULM was running out to a 35-3 lead? Who cares about first downs and yards if you're not scoring? And according the meangreensports.com, UNT had 463 yards of total offense, not 528. ULM stopped UNT from scoring when it counted, and that's all that matters.

Oh! Oh! (hand raised) Me! Me! I know the answer to that one! 16.87 this year. 12.83 in Dickey's last season. More numbers: North Texas is on track to allow more points in Dodge's two seasons than UNT allowed in Dickey's last three seasons: 941 points allowed so far in 20 Dodge games, 1008 points allowed in the final 35 games under Dickey. UNT is losing this year by an average of 33.13 points per game. The most points North Texas has averaged scoring in a single Division I-A season is 31.6 in 1969. In other words, North Texas' very best I-A single-season scoring average is lower than this year's average margin of defeat.

Not only is UNT on pace to allow 50 points per game, I think UNT is also on pace for the worst point differential in school history in Division I-A since 1953. I have not found any results before 1953 or the statistics for the years in Division I-AA (1983-1994). The worst North Texas Division I-A seasons in point differential since 1953: In 1995, the first year back in Division I-A, North Texas went 2-9 and lost by 20.36 points per game (roughly an average score of 38-18). In 2007, Dodge's first season, North Texas went 2-10 and lost by 20.25 points per game (roughly an average score of 45-25). In 1972, North Texas went 1-10 and lost by 18.64 points per game (roughly an average score of 32-13). In 2005, North Texas went 2-9 and lost by 17.18 points per game (roughly an average score of 31-14). And this year, North Texas is 0-8 and is losing by an average of 33.13 points per game. Our average score this year is 50-17.

A Raiders fan cheering for the Chiefs or Broncos...sign of the apocalypse? Can't blame you. It's amazing what Al Davis has done to one of the proudest organizations in American sports.

As hard as the prospect of an 0-12 season is to take, it's not 0-12 that makes me consider if a change is needed. It's the the blow-out nature of every game. As I posted previously, the question of a coaching change at this point seems unthinkable, but it's no more unthinkable than the idea of getting blown out of every single game. No, I didn't expect miracles. I didn't expect a championship or a win over K-State or LSU. But I expected UNT to be competitive this year and at least have a chance of winning against Rice or FIU or ULL. To not be at all competitive in Sun Belt games is hard to believe. If we were a high school program, we'd be the team that everyone wants to schedule for homecoming. No one wants Todd Dodge to succeed more than me, and I will be on hand to support this team on every play. Maybe we'll start to see progress and see a team that is competitive. For the players' sake, I hope so. For anyone who still has faith in Dodge, good for you. But at this point, some of us need proof that Dodge belongs at this level.

Absolutely agree. The fact that anyone is willing to coach for Al Davis in Oakland suggests that you can always find football coaches to take a head coaching job.

And it's foolish and damned dangerous to see only the positives and ignore the negatives.

I like your idea, but I can see it being problematic. There could be a congestion problem if you had a lot of people walking through the aisles during the game. On the other hand, it might not have much impact if you have only a handful of people participate. What about a coordinated effort involving the PA? Just before the end of the quarter, have some alumni walk over to be in position in front of the student section. During the break between the first and second quarters, perhaps Rick V or Dr. Bataille could make an announcement about the stadium vote, how important it is, and how much the alumni appreciate what the students have done. Then the entire alumni side of the field could give a long, loud standing ovation to the students, lead by the alumni who have walked to the student side. Get everyone involved at the same time to make a more dramatic gesture. Then it wouldn't look like just a handful delivering the thank you, rather you would be the representatives of the whole alumni side backed up by a standing ovation.

Phillies have a terrific bullpen, especially in the 8th and 9th innings. They have serious power in their lineup (especially Rollins, Utley, Howard, and Burrell) and some solid starting pitchers. I can certainly see Tampa winning, but beware of the Phillies. And I am not a Phillies fan. Would be fine with me if the Rays won it.