KRAM1

Yes, I understand the confusion...I was definitely confused too and said sio in my posts....still, lots of students and townies and near-by folks who could have made it to practice once it was "officially" announced as open. While at the practice I discussed with another GMG.Com poster how badly I fely the Athletic Dept. handles spring ball at UNT. They could really make an event out of the open practices and the spring game, open the deck, encourage tailgaters, set up to sell tickets, have drawings for Mean Green Gear for those showing up, etc., etc. Some of this stuff is not hard, and is done at several other schools around spring ball. Now, about last Friday's practice...remember, many of the dept. staff was on the way to or already in Hot Springs as UNT was involved in a little thing called the Sunbelt Basketball Tournament. Remember that? GO MEAN GREEN! So, many of the calles to contacts within the dept. went to message as they were "out". Not saying the communication still could not have been handled better, jst saying the dept. was focused in another direction last Friday. I do think UNT misses some good marketingortunities that are there during spring football...that's all. GO MEAN GREEN>

Best post YEAR TO DATE.

Don't be too bummed out...Spring football is here...and, much to everyone's suprise, I agree with Green bat...it would be nice to be watching UNT baseball right now...because men's soccer doesn't have much of a spring season. I am watching Oklahoma State baseball right now for want of any other college ball to follow...I think OSU is going to be improved this season. BUT, you could have made Spring Practice Friday at Fouits...it was an open practice. Lots of folks complain about "closed" practices, but when they opened it...very few showed up. Hey, it's Texas...as one player's Dad said at practice Friday...there are two seasons in Texas...Football season and Spring Football season. GO MEAN GREEN! Start dustuing off your tailgate equipment, buy your season tickets and get your Mean Green gear ready! GO MEAN GREEN!

Thanks for the memories, guys. Great season and a great run for our seniors. Some of the best basketball I have been lucky to witness at UNT. Good luck and God speed. GO MEAN GREEN!

Oh, that makes me feel a little better...not quite ready for the "special memory ward" as yet!

Hopefully, the attached link will work. Seems a 70 something women was sentaced to lashes for having two unrealted men in her house at the same time. Check it out. This stuff is simply amazing! I hope one of the links work. You simply cannot make this stuff up! Can you spell "Dark Ages"? http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506984,00.html http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/09/Eld...39751236597845/

I really do not understand why so many folks think Vito has a problem with Dodge or UNT Athletics in general. Sure, he has written some fairly negative stories and has not been a "cheerleader" for the program. OK, I get that. Sure, i wish he would be more positive in each and every story and does bringing up the record the last two years get a bit old, yes, it certainly does and does not show much journalistic creativity on Brett's part. maybe he has a "thing" with Dodge regarding access. Fine...so do lots of media types at other schools. You think Hansen has something akin to a "personal beef" for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys???? Sure, it happens. Do I wish Vito would bury the hatchet and get on with it. Sure. But, I see no reason to trash him the way some folks here like to do. He is not paid to be a cheerleader for UNT, nor is he paid to be an antagonist either. But, all in all, I do think he writes about as many positive stories as he does negative ones. I think one can "read" into a story what they want to read into it. If one thinks Vito is "anti-UNT" they will see everything he writes in that frame of reference. Same for folks that think he is a local media darling. I just think he has a tough job, lots of hours, lots of deadlines and all reporters these days seem to want to be a bit more than just someone who reports the news. Too bad...we need more reporters and fewer editorialists. Anyway, the newspaper world is not an easty career these days...you think the DRC is the job Brett dreamed of as a kid? I am sure he would like to move on to a bigger paper, but while he is with the DRC and covering UNT, he has a job to do. Maybe he helps sell maore papers because of the stand he takes from time to time. Anyway, for me, Brett does a decent job. I am just glad UNT has a dedicated reporter...without Brett UNT would get nothing in the DFW area papers it seems. Our score against the MUTS was not even reported on the 6PM news I watched last evening...too bad. The win deserved at least a mention on the local TV sports.

might be my "memory" playing games. I thought I recalled a $100,000 salary, but was probably $50,000...sorry....OOPS!

I think he will have to "give up" the retirement pay while he returns to the sidelines. My wife is a retired teacher and she can only make a certain amount before it starts to reduce her teacher retirement. This may only be true if you return to a place that pays into the Teacher Retirement System (my wife returned to UNT to work on a part-time basis) after retireing from public school teaching in Argyle. That $100,000 G A is making in Aubrey may just cut into his retirement $$$ a bit...I doubt that he cares!

Thanks for all you do to help, Rick! If I get smashed I want you and your team on the scene! Go Mean Green.

But, there may not be enough time for students to change their plans!!!!! Just kidding! Thanks to the Dean for getting this out and thanks to UNT for doing this again after only 18 showed up the first time. These things cost $$$$...use it or lose it. In this economy you just never know. FILL THE BUS!!!!!! Go Mean Green!

Yes, way to go to the 18 who made it! And to those who found a way to make it to Hot Springs on their own. If one will look at my prior posts on this I have been pretty vocal about thanking the students who have shown up for games. Especuially the Pit Crew members. I will say once more...WELL DONE! Flyer, if your comment was directed my way...I was having some "fun" about the part of the quote about students not being able to "change" plans! That is, IMHO, the laguh line of the day! I will smile about that one every time I think about it. You have to admit, that's pretty funny!

That is true...Micah was there...thus the "bulked up" reference...but was not participating in drills....rehab still underway. If healthy and ready to go in the fall, I think we will see plenty of Micah on the field. GO MEAN GREEN!

Aubrey has landed one heck of a coach. G A will have them winning ASAP. He will not be the most "loved" coach with some of the administration and parents of current Aubrey players, however, he will put a good team on the field each and every time. This will be fun to watch. G A will take a "little getting used to" by the Aubrey faithful and AISD staff. Tough coach, but one the players who make it through will respect and appreciate. Good for G A Moore. Welcome back to HS coaching!!!!

Great quote by JJ. Success will bring offers and UNT cannot match the dollars that may be thrown his way after a couple of more winning seasons. If that be the case...good for him. He will have built a solid base at UNT and will have given UNT the winning exposure to bring another solid coach to UNt to continue to build on the winning ways JJ has delivered. The quote about commitment from JJ was great! Sort of sounds like a few of the quotes coming from our football coach Todd Dodge too. Both are building solid programs. GO MEAN GREEN!!!! Congrats to JJ and the team...win number 21 tonight!

Agrre with you 100%. However, living in the past and alwys bringing up the "trials of past eras" does not say anything about where UNT is today and where it is heading. It's like dating the beautiful girl and having people alwys say, "yea, she's beautiful now, but she was really ugly when she was 15"!!! What in the heck does that have to do with anything? Florida State couldn't beat a DIII team at one time in its past football history. So???? Again, Calvin...I agree with your comments, it is just a bit frustrating to me that when good things happen, everyone seems to want to add the ..."BUT".....who the heck cares about the "but"...let's get win #21 tonight!!!!! GO MEAN GREEN!

That's funny..."expecting a bus-load of students to be able to drop their weekend plans at the last moment"...really a riot...I am laughing my "you know what off" with that comment. You HAVE GOT to be kidding...I can definitely buy into the "working" situation, but everthing else is pure "horse feathers" when it comes to college students. Make it a last minute Cold Play concert on campus and see how many are able to drop "plans at the last minute" or let Mr or Ms "right" decide they can after all go out with you at the "last minute" and see what happens to "plans". Come on...these are college students...like they have plans cast in concrete???? I may be a bit "ancient" compared to college students these days, but my memory has not failed me as yet. Last minute changes to "plans" is a way of life for college students...I do not buy the study thing at all...been there done that...you want to go, it's a priority for you...you find a way...last minute or last second. I do, however, agree that the AD could have done a better job getting the word out. But, with 35,000 students it is simply amazing that only 18 showed up.

Way to go guys!!! Great win. JJ and his guys deserve a ton of credit for yet another 20-win season. I see that becomming the "rule" rather than the exception at UNT. For all those folks on this board and other places who think athletics is "bad" at UNT, take this and stick it in your pipe and smoke it! UNT is build a winning tradition in athletics. That move is currently being led by men's basketball, but with a new women's coach and a new attitude, women's BB is not far behind, golf has a new coach and a new attitude as does women's softball. Women's soccer continues its winning way and tennis is doing a nice job of making a name for itself around the nation. Football is definitely improving as witnessed by Friday's open practice. Lots of changes coming for 2009. Get ready, it's going to be harder and harder to find reasons to complain about the state of UNT athletic programs. Wow, at that point some folks on this board will have a very difficult time indeed! GREAT WIN GUYS! On to victory tonight against WKU!!!! Let's make it 21 wins tonight!!!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!! GO MEAN GREEN!

You can Emmitt...just open your mind to the possibility that "good things are happening" with UNT football. I saw lots of "good things" at practice Friday. Go read the reports on the football board from Friday's practice. Almost as many fans showed up for practice as students going on the "free" bus to Hot Springs! Too bad you couldn't make it to practice. I "assume" you were not there as I saw most of the fans who were there and did not recognize that you were in attendance. One does tend to find in life the things they are looking for both good and bad. Try to focus on the "good" and you might just start to feel a little better about the football team. Just saying...... BTW...this is not a dig at you Emmitt at all, it is just a note that you can feel good about UNT football because there appear to be many changes from the last two seasons already being reflected on the field.

It points to what I have been "discussing" on this board for some time...the absolute lack of any student support for athletics at UNT. There is a VERY...VERY...small core of students who go to the games and participate (Pit Crew, etc.) and who deserve thanks. But, there is a culture on the UNT campus that seems to keep the students away. You can name all the usual excuses such as too close to Dallas/Ft. Worth, commuter school, music school, losing record the last couple of years in football, etc., etc. But, none of those get to the heart of the matter. If I were the "top dogs" in the administration at UNT I would definitely see this as a problem of support for the long-term. Students who are engaged in their universities while students tend to give back to their universities in much higher numbers throught out their lives. Too bad...18 students take a free bus, free admission, etc. to support their university. Sad, so very sad for them as they are certainly missing out on some great memories. I wonder again if "free" has something to do with preceived value?

Yes, Micah was there and looked as if he had bulked up a bit...I failed to mention him...sorry...Micah should be in the mix as well...hpefully, healthy! I see good things developing for the Mean Green in 2009!

OK, this may be a bit late, and a bit redundant from NT03's report, but I made the entire practice Friday afternoon. It was definitely an open practice as I had thought, but the mix-up probably kept a good many fans away. I know a couple who were going to make the drive from a good distance away but cancelled due to not knowing if practice would be open for certain or not. Too bad, it was great to be at the paractice... First, I agree 100% that the defense looks like it is going to be much improved over last year's. And, this may not be news to many people, but DeLoach is REALLY LOUD! You could hear him over everthing including the wind blowing through the scoreboard...which if you have been around long you realize it sounds like several 18-wheelers going up and down 35E when it is really windy as it was Friday. But, contarary to NT03's observation, not all passes were 5 yeard and out types. There was a "scrimmage" of sorts at the end with officials and play/down situation type plays. Both Chris Brainerd (sp?) and Mike Outlaw made a couple of nice deep down fiels catches from passes Riley threw that were excellent and right on target. Unfortunately Chris dropped his (held it long enough that in some cases it might have been rules a fumble). I think Mike Outlaw and Jamaal jackson are the two top receievers at the moment. I will say again, UNT does not have a QB problem. Riley looked very sharp and Tune will be an excellent back-up oir starter which ever way it works out. Riley also rifled a ball into double coverage over the middle about ten yards down for a great catch by the tight end. Yes, I said toght end! Let that sink in a second. Great pass, hard shot and really nice catch. Both Montgomery and Dunbar looked good. There just might be a real battle for the #1 spot between these two. Keep that in the back of your head...who knows...from the looks of it Friday it is shaping up that way. I would not want to bet either way at the moment. NO SNAPS SEEN FROM UNDER CENTER. There you have that...I was disappointed to see that there were none, but with the catch by the tight end I got over it real fast. OL looks pretty set and solid. Some great drills to watch and some good competition going on...trust me on that. There are some good sized young men on the OL...for sure...Chad Little is something else...the guy is LARGE! DL looking better...looks to me like Ross and DeSoto will start at tackle on the DL. Anyway, I aslo had the pleasure of meeting up with the father of one of the players who made the afternoon even that much more enjoyable. I had no roster, but he was able to clue me in on names, etc. Then, I had the very nice good fortune to share dinner with the gentleman and his son after practice at Central Grill. Great fun. Nice guy and great kid! A credit to UNT. Anyway, sorry more fans did not get thechance to watch practice...great day to be a member of the Mean Green Nation. By the way...punters did do some punting as did placekickers...but, those guys do have it pretty easy out there. Oh, to be a punter! Ha! GO MEAN GREEN!

GEEEEEZZZZZZ Louise...just having a bit of fun...ever heard of scarcasm, Quoner? Sorry to hack you guys off...maybe I should have said The Fake Lonnie!!!!! Would that have made you feel better??? Good grief...are you the only guys that can play the scarcasm button?????

Great...let's trade the leg for the flag! Sounds good to me...who the heck wants a smelly old leg from a dead guy anyway?????

And, by the way...a single game home Big XII game ticket at Stillwater for OSU games is priced at $85.00. UNT football is a bargain for students and alums alike!!! GO MEAN GREEN!