KRAM1

Big loss. All the best for a full and speedy recovery!

I spoke with one of the Army’s Black Knights parachute team Monday. They are in town early visiting high schools, etc. as part of their PR/recruiting duties. They are planning a jump in on game day weather permitting. That means no high winds either. Enjoyed chatting with him about skydiving and how things have changed from my skydiving days in the mid 70’s. It has changed a lot! Anyway, fun fact...guy asked where I was stationed while in the Air Force. When I replied “Whiteman Air Force Base”, he replied....”I was born at Whiteman”. Small world indeed! Here’s hoping for clear skies and no wind Saturday! Bring on the Black Knights! 👍👍

Looks a tad like UNT has been evaluating the cost/benefit reward of pouring dollars into a program where the vast majority of its grads decide to attend college at schools other than UNT. I am a fan of TAMS, but do sort of wonder where the cost/benefit analysis lies with UNT. Does cost UNT a bunch of money each year in both hard and soft costs. If more TAMS grads continued their education at UNT than do now, the answer would be much easier to determine. These are excellent students for sure, but, really, what does UNT really get for its rather large annual investment? Some feel that UNT is pouring lots of dollars into preparing great students to attend universities other than UNT, and the question is why? TAMS could do itself a big favor if more of its grads stayed at UNT. I do not have the answer. I just know the discussion is taking place. I hope the eventual answer is that more and more TAMS grads decide to stay at UNT for college and that UNT decides TAMS is a must keep treasure.

Murray absolutely crashed into the guy from the back side with the play already 10-15 yards in front of him. Obvious "unnecessary roughness" penalty IF SEEN! Unfortunately, the trailing ref saw it. Was absolutely the dumbest play I have seen in a long long time. Murray should be ashamed of this! That, right there, is a losing play! These VEREY unnecessary penalties that seem to keep happening in each and every game are VERY damaging to the game and they need to stop...and stop now. I don't like, but do not mind nearly as much a penalty by a guy trying to make a play that just gets into a penalty situation...like a facemask at times, or a horse collar that really isn't a horse collar, a hold where a guy just gets "caught", etc., etc. But, these sort of absolutely undisciplined and 100% unnecessary penalties are hurting the team. They must stop. And, before anyone chimes in with "it's coaching", Littrell preaching this is stupid and that he hates it and jumps players at almost every practice and in every film session. So, these players ARE being coached and told not to do the stupid things that get the team beat. Murray is VERY lucky that his stupiod play did not cost the team the win.

You fit right in with the majority of UNT fans. Ha! Ha!

Well, it was pretty much the "perfect storm" in Denton last Saturday. Many many Halloween "trunk or treat" events (I know of several local churches holding Halloween evens last Saturday...mine included) going on PLUS the Annual Day of the Dead Coffin Races were being held downtown with an estimated 20,000 plus attendees. Last race scheduled to go off about 4:00pm, and with a 5:30pm kick-off...well you get the drift. It is Denton after all! Let us not even mention that it was a "super cold" 60 degrees at kick-off. Then, add to all this the total blowout by FAU the week prior and BINGO...18,500 or so at the game. I get that other programs do not have quite this sort of challenge, but, as we all know, given alternatives, Denton usually chooses the "alternative" to the game....as do, sadly, UNT students who were conspicuously missing. Of course, as we have always seen, we have folks who think driving from Dallas or Ft Worth to Denton involves a three day "adventure". Add it all up and you get the attendance we saw Saturday. Sad, but seems to be the reality no matter the effort made to increase attendance at Apogee. Some will say..."win and they will come". Well, I got off that train after our first HOD Bowl victory and a winning year when the very next year we saw a big drop in attendance even at the start of the year. It really seems that winning has no real factor in attendance for UNT games. Thought this a good article by Brett, and points to the bigger issue facing college sports these days I suppose. How long can dropping attendance figures support the "arms race" that is college sports these days...at least the football and basketball programs?

Good gosh no! I don’t follow politicians on Twitter. Why the heck would anyone?

Not even close to the gist of his speech. Were you there? I was and actually listened to what he had to say. The guy is not good at delivering jokes during a speech. That is for sure and his attempts at humor went over like the proverbial "lead balloon" at the event. Not that anyone was put off by them, just that they were not delivered at the right time or with the correct joke-like content. You pluck 10 seconds out of an hour long talk and suggest that was the content. And, folks wonder where fake news gets started and/or perpetuated. It is interesting how folks refuse to even consider what someone might have to say if they do not say exactly what that person already believes. What fun is that? Open your opportunities up to different views...it won't kill you, it won't turn your belief system on its head, but it might provide some interesting nuggets of information to ponder. I heard Trump, Jr. speak this week, on Nov. 1st I am attending a talk on campus entitled "The Accidental Activist" presented by the author of a new book on the couple who broke the gay marriage barrier in Texas. Why not? The opportunities to learn or hear various sides of issues is endless on a campus if it does not limit free speech. At this point, even though our President may have tried, UNT does not stifle free speech. I am hoping it stays that way in spite of a minority of faculty and students who feel opposing views are not worthy to even present.

Entire speaker series was set up by donors...and paid for by donors (yes, the University paid a small amount...very small) to raise scholarship dollars for Merit Scholars at UNT. The first scholarships will be awarded this coming year. Dollars had to build to endow the scholarships I suppose. Figures from $13,000 to $100,000 have been thrown around as to the amount raised from this one event with Donald Trump, Jr. I don't suppose anyone knows, as yet, the real dollar amount. I heard Brit Ryan mention $100,000 and I have heard some of the event's detractors mention $13,000 total for the series this year. I did hear Brit Ryan and President Smatresk disputing that low dollar figure and mentioning $200,000, but, again, nothing official at all as yet. But, bottom line, the series is raising scholarship dollars as is one of its stated purposes. If anyone at the University feels the level of dollars raised is not adequate, they are free to refuse any scholarship dollars should they be offered same. And, by the way...the earth was still spinning on its axis Thursday morning after the talk, the sun was shining and the University was open for business as usual. Imagine that!

HERE IS MY POST FROM ANOTHER THREAD ABOUT THE EVENT: I was there...decent sized crowd for such an event...comprised mostly of students...which I see as a very good thing. The event was definitely geared toward students with chances to win both a $10,000 and a $50,000 prize. Neither money prize was won this time,. but the drawing winners had fun trying at least. There was the usual three-point and slam dunk contests, but no scrimmage of any kind by either of the teams, so you really got no indication of what you might see during the season. Best part for me was the "dance off" between the men's and women's teams. Really fun to watch that. Lots of free food and drinks, food coupons, give-a-ways, etc. Got to try out the newly installed loge seating at mid-court where press row used to reside. Really nice. Will provide an I-pad for every two seats to utilize during games, wait staff service, nice seating, etc., etc. Priced like the floor seats. There will be four rows of six seats each, so 24-loge seats available. I believe the cost is $375.00 per seat for the men and $125 per seat for the women...$500 for both. Required annual MGC seat donation...$1,000 per seat per year. No permanent "seat license" as we see with the Apogee Club Seats. Get 'em while they are available folks...I think up to 8 are already sold. This event was definitely geared toward the students...dancers, cheer team all participated and at the end of the event the coaches encouraged everyone to come down onto the floor and meet and mingle with the players and coaching staffs and to dance away...as many did. They were "dancing in the streets" as we departed for our cars and home at the conclusion. Lasted about and hour and a half. You were also able to pick up your season tickets last evening. They were in nice presentation "boxes" just like the football tickets were. Very nice touch. One thing everyone will notice when attending is that hand rails have been installed down every aisle...green, of course. You might also notice that a good bit of the concourse is still blocked off on the press box side as construction is still on-going. No idea when construction will be complete...,which includes a legit ticket booth/office area...imagine that for the Super Pit! Winner! All in all a very enjoyable evening, but even more so for the students in attendance I would think. I love the focus on student attendance these days at all the UNT sporting events. Students help the "game day atmosphere" so much and can mean the difference between a real home court advantage or not...in my opinion. Glad we went, but ready for the games to begin! GO MEAN GREEN!

I was there...decent sized crowd for such an event...comprised mostly of students...which I see as a very good thing. The event was definitely geared toward students with chances to win both a $10,000 and a $50,000 prize. Neither money prize was won this time,. but the drawing winners had fun trying at least. There was the usual three-point and slam dunk contests, but no scrimmage of any kind by either of the teams, so you really got no indication of what you might see during the season. Best part for me was the "dance off" between the men's and women's teams. Really fun to watch that. Lots of free food and drinks, food coupons, give-a-ways, etc. Got to try out the newly installed loge seating at mid-court where press row used to reside. Really nice. Will provide an I-pad for every two seats to utilize during games, wait staff service, nice seating, etc., etc. Priced like the floor seats. There will be four rows of six seats each, so 24-loge seats available. I believe the cost is $375.00 per seat for the men and $125 per seat for the women...$500 for both. Required annual MGC seat donation...$1,000 per seat per year. No permanent "seat license" as we see with the Apogee Club Seats. Get 'em while they are available folks...I think up to 8 are already sold. This event was definitely geared toward the students...dancers, cheer team all participated and at the end of the event the coaches encouraged everyone to come down onto the floor and meet and mingle with the players and coaching staffs and to dance away...as many did. They were "dancing in the streets" as we departed for our cars and home at the conclusion. Lasted about and hour and a half. You were also able to pick up your season tickets last evening. They were in nice presentation "boxes" just like the football tickets were. Very nice touch. One thing everyone will notice when attending is that hand rails have been installed down every aisle...green, of course. You might also notice that a good bit of the concourse is still blocked off on the press box side as construction is still on-going. No idea when construction will be complete...,which includes a legit ticket booth/office area...imagine that for the Super Pit! Winner! All in all a very enjoyable evening, but even more so for the students in attendance I would think. I love the focus on student attendance these days at all the UNT sporting events. Students help the "game day atmosphere" so much and can mean the difference between a real home court advantage or not...in my opinion. Glad we went, but ready for the games to begin! GO MEAN GREEN!

Indeed...I really like that we have finally secured this new venue...even has all the correct markings...and...a three point line! Ha!

Start time is looking like an 11:00am tip-off. Should give us plenty of time and plenty of afternoon left for an after-event at one of our favorite “watering holes”. And, also give everyone plenty of evening and night-time freedom. Check those calendars and put this one down. Another fun game that does a ton of good for some great student-athletes!

HaHa! Funny...BUT Nope and Nope on both counts.

Those 23,000 will get to see UNT and the Mean Green Nation win the CUSA crown. That's what!

These articles keep saying that members of the press are barred from the event. Which is simply not true. Press are not barred from the event. They simply must purchase a table like everyone else, or be invited to attend and sit at the table of someone or some company that did buy a table. Are you telling me that the Belo Company cannot afford a table if it were that important to them to attend? Yes, yes, I realize that press feels "entitled" to attend any event they wish free of charge, and often event organizers beg members of the press to attend. Such is not the case with this event. People keep implying that Trump, Jr. has nothing to say and that he is not qualified to speak at this event, so why does it matter if members of the press get a "freebie"? Frankly, I don't care one way or the other. This is a private event arranged by the Kuehne Speaker Series donors for the benefit of those purchasing tables and supporting the speaker series. And, the whole thing has generated way too much "press" for what it actually is...a speech, a one time speech presented as part of a speaker series to help generate scholarship funds for UNT students. It will be enjoyable for those who want to attend, an enigma for some and another reason to bitch and moan for many others. But, this too shall pass. And, the sooner the better in my opinion. Much ado about absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Don't like it? Don't go. Like it...buy a table of see if someone has an empty seat of the table they purchased. I happen to know first hand that not all table seats are spoken for at the moment. And, yes, UNT students WILL be in attendance. BUT, back to the misleading assumption that the press is barred from the event...NOPE! Just no press freebies for this one. If it's that important...buy a table...press is certainly welcome to do so. If any tables remain to be purchased at this late date.

SAVE THE DATE...this year's version of the UNT CHEER SCHOLARSHIP BASKETBALL GAME WILL BE PLAYED ON APRIL 14th of 2018. The even better news is, that after several years of trying, we have secured the Ken Bahnsen Gym...yes...the OLD MEN's GYM on W. Highland Street (just across W. Highland from the Super Pit... as our venue! Yes, Sir! A real basketball gym for the first time in what will be our 8th year! So, let's do this one up right....let's make it a special day and help these great student-athletes with some scholarship funds. Put the date on your calendars NOW so you can play...get your friends to come out and play or just come out and enjoy the fun, bid on a silent auction item or two, etc., etc. Besides players (and yes, this remains a co-ed event...so ladies????), the biggest need we have is actually getting folks to come watch and be part of the event. The more "fans" we have, the better we do with concessions and with the silent auction and with the 50/50 half-time shot hoop-la. Also...looking for sponsors for this year's event as well. If you know a business or an individual looking to help fund student-athlete scholarships, please let me know. I would be happy to chat with them. So, that's it for the early news. Save that date...APRIL 14th...and let's make this new venue rock!

VOTED!

Which “most profitable companies” might those be?

Not so fast ....

Attendance filled in later in the 1st quarter. What seemed odd to me was how empty the Hill was with frat and sorority tailgaters. Odd, but crowd did fill in much better after the start. Still smaller than it should have been considering all the hard work put in to get rears in the seats.

How does Rico get around that corner without any blockers and still stay in bounds? Wow! Guy made that play after a gutsy play by Fine. Light the Tower folks. This team is for real.

Thought the exact same thing leaving the game. The Stand has it’s counterpart now with The Drive! BTW...Mason Fine is a Warrior!

Would be nice if John came back and supported UNT sports once again. I think his self-imposed exile has gone on long enough and those in the Administration with which he disagreed so much are long gone. I know he attended a game last year, but I mean really come back home.

Like I said...lots of angst being displayed over a speech. I'll just rest my case and let everyone enjoy their angst over nothing. I guess today folks just have to always be upset over something. As the great philosopher, Charlie Brown, has said "Good grief".