untcampbell

The "have nots" must figure out how to leverage their position against the "haves." If there is money to be made in whor(n)ing to the LHN, I think you have to. Not that I am sure there is with a network that has less than 500,000 potential viewers. The best way for us to make money off the "haves" is this: When they super conference into four geographical regions around the country, the price to take a week off against the approximately 60 "have nots" has to go up. Even now, the value of a national championship or BCS bowl game means each loss by the "haves" is potentially the difference between a $1.5 mm bowl game in December and a $17 mm game after New Years Day. Thus the value of taking a week off from beating yourself up against the other "haves" has gone up. "Have nots" should not give a week-off game to any BCS team for less than $3 mm. EVER again. There must be firm pricing agreement by the non-BCS teams (I guess that is collusion/price fixing but I am not sure collusion can be called here when pricing against a monopoly). The only other options for the BCS teams then are to play lower division games (which hurts their scheduling ranking) or risk an early season loss against one of the other "haves." This is our leverage....don't cheapen the currency. GMG

FIU defense had a pick 6 and did a nice job containing the run. Speed is a nice-to-have, huh? Louisville doesn't have a great run team but averaged about 2 yards per carry last night on 41 carries. Did pass for 363 though, but was down the whole game and passed 45 times. GMG

Dalai Lama walked into The Tomato in Sanger earlier this week. Becky asked: What kind of pizza would you like? Dalai: Make me one with everything. Kharma rules. Be positive. GMG

God, Bless Dan McCarney. This is a good man. GMG

Headline I am hoping for: NT WINS ON LAST PLAY IN SOLD OUT GAME AT APOGEE Crowd control: In a first, 2000 students turned away BAD PR? I think telling the other 25000+ (36000-8000 attendees-2000 turned away) students that didn't even try that this ticket is in demand, would be a pretty good story to tell. Get there early. Pull for your team. Enjoy football Mecca. GMG

Hey OA...you know Aggie is my second fave team. You guys let up on $MU...field goal instead of 50? C'mon. (apology to all others for the one off) GMG

The court jester outfit has been so passe since, oh the 1600's. Bout time they brought them back.

Geez SE...all these years later, it was (Mo)Lester's fault? I take it back. I love SMU. Mark. GMG

My distaste for all things SMU started with one play and one player: An Eric Dickerson TD run. Around 1981 or 1982, Dickerson, the fastest player on the field by a mile, broke free on a long touchdown run against NT, his trademark upright running style an absolute thing of beauty Around the 10 yard line, he turned around and backpedalled into the end zone while pointing his finger into the face of a pursuing NT defender. It was bush league and would be penalized for unsportsmanlike behavior these days. That moment became even more disgusting a few years later when the cheating scandal was revealed. The image of professional athletes pointing their fingers in the face of our program was and is symbolic of the "cash vs trash" elitism that persists today, amongst many SMU fans. Is my characterization of and outright disgust for SMU rational? Probably not, but that is pretty much what makes sports sports. That I, or anyone for that matter, would give a rats a-- about that program is the bigger shame. GMG

Has 3 TD's in the first two games....something like 150 yards on 14 catches. GMG

Good points on local coverage. My guess is the FIU roster is stocked with Miami-area kids. Fast, big and strong local kids gets you wins. Fast, big and strong local kids gets good coverage. Winning gets good coverage. Winning early and big gets good coverage. Winning on Thursday night gets good coverage. Winning when you are the only area or state college playing that night gets good coverage. Winning when Miami (NFL) doesn't play its starters in a meaningless, over-priced exhibition, and wins against Dallas...gets good coverage, right below the Dolphins. Win. When? GMG* *No political statement was intended in the submission of this post.

Why do you hit yourself on the head with a hammer over and over and over again? Because it feels so good when I stop. Why do you go see North Texas lose over and over and over again? Because it feels so good when we win.* Soon. GMG *Also allowed: Because I REALLY like being at APOGEE.

Thanks for the update, MGM. It is fun to see our Olympic sports continue to move forward. And I am hopeful that football relevance is in the near future. GMG Soccer!

And don't forget the great Lester Harper. http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1800&ATCLID=205157146

I would guess around 500. The band came out before the game, including the dance team. I took the opportunity to move around from where we will be sitting and enjoyed the view from numerous seats. This is probably the eighth or ninth time I have gone to the stadium, and I just really enjoy BEING there. I hope we can move the place from stadium to home to home-field advantage quickly. GMG

Apogee = Mecca GMG

In, with two kids...maybe a neighbor. If only the Kettle Korn guy was going to be set up for this one! GMG

I think we have to think about the next conference alignment regarindg teams that don't make the top 64 (4 conferences of 16 teams). Someone smarter than me can name the 64 teams but there will be some pretty interesting names that don't make the final. Then you start looking at where the remaining teams are regionally. And most of all, mi amigos, the teams that aren't in the top 64 MUST agree that none of US plays one of THEM for less than $3million/game (unless they want to do a home and home). Those 64 need a break from playing Alabama, LSU, Florida every week. As a group, we cannot cheapen the currency. An "easy" week is worth a lot of money to the 64. You won't go 12-0 against the other 63 teams...you will have to go through us to do that. DON'T CHEAPEN THE CURRENCY. (and yes, I expect that some of those "easy" games will backfire on the 64)

Throw in Tulane...every other year trip to New Orleans worth any downside. Also, if you are going to mix a conference together with both public and private schools, it may be attractive to the SMU's and Tulsa's (Memphis also, right?) to have more rather than less private schools. I am in KC and ICT today...lots of talk about A$M's move to the SEC. This probably has been speculated in other arenas but the buzz up here is that Mizzou is a lock for a super conference, that Kansas best chance is to broker a partnership with Mizzou...and that Kansas State is unattractive in almost any scenario. I would guess an Iowa State may be viewed similarly. I feel better about NT's chances in a super conference world if the remaining teams (current mid-majors, if you will) include some ex-major conference teams. GMG

I had a Mean Green shirt on at a Fun Run in Boston last weekend. A guy came up to me and told me he was a North Texas grad. Turns out his wife was attending the same meeting as I, and works in FW with Alcon. I told him to forget everything he knows about North Texas football in the past, and to get his butt to Denton to see the stadium....AND the team! On the shuttle bus to my car on the way home, a lady asked me if my ring was an Aggie ring (I often get asked that). Started talking about NT and the shuttle driver told me he lives in Argyle (he did not go to NT) and he plans on taking his family to a couple of games this year at the new stadium. He who is used to the comfort of a wide open section G on fall Saturday afternoons is about to feel crowded...and it is good. GMG

1:54, the punt return....as Norm says: OMG. As I say, GMG

Laramie Lee today lost his stripes. Well done! GMG

Tidbits coming in on twitter are a welcome respite...but I generally agree with you. However, IF we win.... GMG

Thanks for making the trip to Denton...bring a few thousand of your friends! GMG