KRAM1

Doesn't TCU have a fan board you can join so you can start sharing your sunshine with them?

Believe it or not....Aloe Vera

The Lovelace's have their name on our softball stadium big! The AD and Coach Littrell and others flew on the Lovelace's private jet to look at IPF's just recently. They are interested...as rumor has it...in being major donors to the IPF and to baseball should it come back as a priority. Yep...for UNT...big donors.

Good stuff Silver. I always enjoy reading your practice notes. Thanks. Did you talk to Don or Dillon Lovelace? Don is Dad...Dillon son of Don. Both really nice guys and big time UNT supporters, but you probably knew that, right?

Gee, I don't suppose that living about 1 hour round-trip closer to TCU would have anything to do with it now would it. Naw, couldn't have. You got the t-shirt yet?

No ... did not build one at Trophy Club. We're going to, but a new manager came in at trophy club and charged up a lot of the "deal", so the other club stepped up and it was built elsewhere for less money and with an even better facility and access for the golf team. Pretty sweet deal for our program in the end. Yep...every time I hear a certain type of wind I think of someone too! Now, back to the sushi thread we go!

Many times, but you were mentioning layoffs...not individual partings. Hmmmmmm. Big big difference. And, just FYI... never actually "fired" anyone...found a way to "help" my under achievers find employment elsewhere. When you set expectations and review those expectations on a regular basis...my direct reports were reviewed against their goals quarterly....you generally, in my experience, don't have to fire anyone. They leave on their own. Which, of course, generally, improves morale. Everyone knows who is underperforming or who just doesn't fit. When announcing layoffs, it is an entirely different matter...never found a way to improve morale by announcing that we were going to be cutting staff by say 10%. I am looking for how you did that by wording it properly. Hmmmmm.

Please tell us all how to word a layoff announcement that would give employees "warm fuzzies". I have had to create such announcements and then announce them, and try as I may have, not once did I soon after see an improvement in morale. I would love to know how to have done it so to have improved morale. We can all benefit here if you would let us know. Perhaps there is someone on this board who is either having to craft such a notice or is currently under such a notice at their place of employment. Seriously, if you know how to do it let us know. In my experience, at the very least it creates uncertainty and angst within the ranks of the entire staff. I wish I had known that it was "all in the wording". I might have done better. In your experience, how did you word it?

As with any new business in Denton, I wish this one well and hope it will be a supporter of the Mean Green. New businesses add to our tax base and give our citizens more choices so they can spend their money in Denton. So, I am pleased to see this move and wish it nothing but success. Unfortunately for me, I have never acquired a taste for Sushi. Perhaps there will be non-sushi items as well on the menu.

Question for a psychologist out there in Mean Green Land..... Why do people who say they no longer care about UNT keep posting on a UNT "fan board"? If one doesn't care about something why do they subject themselves to reading about it and discussing it so much? It is like the old Doctor joke....guy says "Doc it hurts when I raise my arm. Doc replies "don't raise your arm". Problem solved. If one truly no longer cares about UNT, or anything else for that matter, it seems logical that they would remove themselves from that arena and find something that they do care about. So, is it that they really don't care or is it simply that they have a strong need to keep telling everyone they don't care in the hopes they can convince others to likewise not care by continually posting about what they "no longer care about". Or, maybe to convince themselves? Misery loves company perhaps? It seems to be an endless circle. Any psychologists out there want to tackle this quandary?

Someone get greenjoe a rumpled $100 bill. ??

At the stated final conclusion date of player registration as announced in another thread. We are still below our average number of players, so everyone will get all the playing time they want. You will be coaching a squad again this year...playing time up to you on your squad. Seems to me it has worked out just fine over the last six years. Will this year as well. Every player means more scholarship dollars, more possible half-time mid-court shots, more silent auction donors and more concessions purchased....which, means, and why we do this....more scholarship dollars for these great student-athletes. Appreciate your participation as well.

Just got word of another player sign-up....John Hopkin is on the roster! Got to send a big thank you out to MeanGreenCoach2 who told his friend, John, about our game and what it is trying to do. After hearing where the funds go John signed up and made a bit of an "extra" donation as well above the playing fee. Many thanks...we are going to bust right through this Seven for Seven goal with help like this! ?

WE have a new player...JUSTIN ELSE is in! The game is shaping up nicely, but we do need a couple of REFEREES and a couple of more players would be nice as well. Don't want anyone "crashing and burning" on the court after doin that "weekend warrior" thing! Player registration link where one can donate, pay their playing fee, etc., etc.: https://one.unt.edu/2017basketballclassic GOING TO BE GREAT FUN AGAIN! Even if you can't play, come on out and watch this game...maybe grad a concession item or two and bid on a silent auction item or two...then come join us at EAST SIDE SOCIAL CLUB ON OAK STREET just off the square in beautiful downtown Denton for the after event gathering. Hope to see you on April 1st for year seven of our Cheer Scholarship Basketball Classic. Can't do it without you!

We have a new player to announce...JUSTIN ELSE is in the house! Welcome aboard Justin...appreciate your support...you are going to have a great time! Folks...here is the link to pay your registration fee or donate: https://one.unt.edu/2017basketballclassic

WE are closing in on being half-way to our "Seven for Seven" goal, and still have a month to go! Great job so far folks, but still half-way to go. If you are a player, please click on the site and go ahead and register and pay your playing fee of $35.00...yes, you can make a larger donation or additional donation as well if you wish, but certainly not required...here is the link once again: https://one.unt.edu/2017basketballclassic TOGETHER we can do this! Thanks to all who are playing, donating, volunteering, refereeing and just coming to watch. It all helps!

THIS! As much as I hate the "pulling the scholarship" thing...and I do really hate it...men's basketball has become a one-year gig and all players and families of players know that going in. It just happens to be the nature of the game today. Look across the landscape of college basketball on any level and you will see jet contrails left by players as they decide to transfer after a year or two or coaches have decided that a player should "look for greener pastures" elsewhere. College football is seeing some of the same "transfer" activity, but since there are more players on a FB team, the transfers are not nearly as evident unless it involves a "star" recruit or player.

EXACTLY what I did when I was named President of the bank. I was "told" by others who was "good" and who needed to be "immediately replaced" by a few of the folks who hired me. However, they said it was my call. So, wanting to make my own opinions and knowing that some folks work differently when "new management" arrives, I waited and watched and counseled and let everyone know what I expected of them under "my watch". I told them I would not micromanage their every move, but that we would "talk" should I think the situation required a "conversation". Low and behold...we went from an under performing bank to a bank rated quite highly against its peers. No, not overnight, but we made steady progress. And, I ended up keeping every employee I was told was going to pull us down and I let go a couple I was told were in our top tier of employees. You see, I learned long ago that when looking in from the outside with no responsibility for success or failure, it is very easy to criticize other people and to belittle their decisions. It is quite another to be "the guy" who will "win or lose" with the hand they build for themselves. Personally, and only personally, I have absolutely no problems with the way Wren is going about the evaluation process and I see lots of positives since he took the reigns of the athletic department. Folks do realize that there is a hiring freeze on, right? If the employee is to be paid with state funds, they cannot be hired at the moment. No indication of when the freeze will be lifted at this point either. Everyone gets to run their ship as they see fit until the time they do not! In the same vein, if fans feel they have had enough, well, they are entitled to do as they feel best for them. Not anyone else's call here...for the AD or for the fans. Those of us who will remain on the Good Ship Mean Green, will see first hand where it goes and how long it takes....some of us have been waiting for a lot of years to see "how long it takes" and that time hasn't arrived yet. Just hope Wren Baker and Dr. Smatresk will keep the promise to move us toward Tier One status in BOTH Academics AND Athletics. Just hope I live that long...can't quit now...been at it too long to abandon ship now.

We will all know when they start turning dirt. Until then things could go either way. Dr Smatrest mentioned one concept, Vito seems to be reporting another...assume that Vito's info is coming from folks in the Athletic Dept. In reality, either concept/idea is a nice improvement in facilities.

Huh?

"inclined"

Not sure "able" would be the operative word here....

It was Liberty Christian's football stadium. Size was there when UNT took it over. Coach Hedlund has always wanted a wider field. But, he has a pretty good home record on that field, so there is that going for him and that pitch.

During the Coaches Radio Show today at Rudy's...the final one for the year...Coach Benford pretty much said his good-byes if you listened carefully. When this takes place...how ever long after the last game this coming Saturday, I would suspect that a new Coach would be named shortly after the NCAA Tournament concluders. Lots of BB Coach movement around that time of year. I am always sad, on the personal level, for any of our coaches who leave (not of their own accord). Especially head coaches as that means several assistants will be losing jobs as well. This uproots several families and careers. Not a good thing to have to experience. So, on the personal level, I am saddened...Coach Benford is a really good guy and has done much to foster a "family" atmosphere within the BB program. However, he does know better than those of us who watch from outside, how this coaching thing goes. You win or you move along. So, here's hoping the team can win a couple this week on the road so our seniors and the coaches can have that to recall as they head to other pastures.

OK folks...let me make this perfectly clear...what I have reported is simply what Dr Smatresk himself reported in a meeting I attended. Who knows how this will all shake out in the end? While the project seems to be moving forward, there are plenty of things to still be worked out. Heck, Coach Hedlund may find a way to create that soccer playing field as wide as he would like it. He has mentioned for some time that the current field is too narrow for his liking....and, yes, for you non-soccer folks, soccer fields are not all the same size nor do they have to be...there are parameters but fields can and do vary in size. New soccer and track offices are being incorporated into the planning of this new facility. And, yes, upgrades are being considered for the current soccer facility. Lots to be worked out, so we shall see. BUT, this will be a nice facility and it will be multi-purpose which seems to be the "trend" these days. Just remember...soccer is played on grass as a preference (and, yes, many college facilities play on turf but that is not preferred)...so, give that some thought along with where the field events would need to go should the interior of the new track facility become the "home" site for UNT soccer. Very excited to see how this develops. Hopefully, Dr. Smatrsk and Wren Baker are on the same "sheet of music" here with where they want this to go and how they want it to develop.