KRAM1

So, the baseball thing rears its head once again....can't understand why baseball over a much more cost efficient men's soccer program. Oh, well, any step forward, even a misguided one like men's baseball is a good thing in my opinion. If men's baseball being reinstated helps get a new stadium and incresaed athletic fee then so be it. I still recall the day they lied to us about "not" cutting the men's soccer program when the decision had already been made. A BAD DAY IN BLACKROCK that one was! Could have sent me packing in my support for UNT, did for about a year or so, but just couldn't let it keep me from supporting and enjoying UNT and UNT athletics. I "got over it" pretty quickly...I suggest some others get over their "past problems" and help THEIR University move forward. GO MEAN GREEN. What logo will be on the baseball caps????

I agree that the positions to watch the development of this season will be our OL and DL. I think we could develop into a pretty good OL and DL group, but we definitely need help. I still think we are "thin" in numbers on both sides of the ball in the line, and if the "injury bug" hits UNT skill players could be "running for their lives". I think both Dodge and DeLoach are quite capable of working around this challenge and getting more than many would think possible from this group. I think they have some potential to "surprise" a bunch of folks at how good they really are. I hope I'm right, you better hope so to you MEAN GREEN NATION fan folks!

OK, now I realize why I was "confused". The big boys of the PGA are playing the Bridgestone this week. The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open is a 2nd tier PGA event for those not playing the Bridgestone. I guess my comment about Michelle not "playing with the big boys" still stands, and makes the fact that she skipped trying to qualify for the Woemen's Senior Open even that much more STUPID! Only in America would this circus go on...like someone said, "it's all about the money". I guess I have no problem with that concept when it comes to professional sports, I just hate to see a sport as tradition bound as golf fall into the realm of professional wrestling!

I VERY MUCH agree with the "free press" comment...right on...my concern with the "free press" is that they seem to have turned into major OP-EDS and away from reporting the facts and actual news. Can't turn on any of the major TV stations news casts without opinion after opinion being reported as "news" and stories being slanted (one way or the other) to solidify a position in OP-ED news. The newspapers are just as much OP-ED pieces as the TV news media. hard to find an unbiased report from any of the major news sources these days. I am old enough to remember whern the media felt their main purpose was to be like Jack Webb in Dragnet..."just the facts, just the facts ma'am". I am fully capable of making my own mind up regarding what "I think" is going on or where I stand on any issue. I do not think it is the media's place in a "free society" to try to "direct" my thoughts on a subject. That is not a free press but rather propaganda. If you want to do op-ed and propaganda, great, just make certain you label it as such and let your readers and viewers know it is such. Don't "color" it as news! When the press covers one side of an issue almost exclusively it is hard to get much objectivity going. If the press had treated the events during WWII as they did Viet Nam and as they do Irag and Afghanistan the US may not have been able to stay in the war long enogh to defeat Hitler and Tojo. Just finished reading "Ghost Mountain Boys" about the battle for New Guinea. Amazing how unprepared, under equipped and poorly led the troops were who fought day and night for extended periods of time to defeat the Japanese army in New Guinea. The losses were staggering on both sides and did not have to have been so. You think planning and execution of the Iraq War was "poor", read about New Guinea in WWII and a few of the other South Pacific battles early on when the Japanese had control of the theater. Very interesting read. When one thinks of "war is hell", it had to be "pure d" HELL in New Guinea, Guadacanal, Pelieu, Iwo, Okinawa, etc., etc. And, this does even touch the China-Burma-Inda theater or the European theater of operations. If the press acted and reported then as they do now, we might just be speaking German or Japanese! The American public was "shielded" from much of the day to day struggles our soldiers faced, and from the actual day to day "body counts", no TV shots of gore, etc., etc. And, reporters tried to report news, not their ideological beliefs. Interseting how times and things change. Everyone can make their own minds up about whether they think today's press is really reporting the news or op-eds. You be the judge as I am certain everyone will have their own opinion and each opinion is as "good" as the next. A censored press is a bad press and not worthy of existing. A truly free press is a great thing and one thing that makes America the greatest nation on God's green earth. I just wish they would stick to REPORTING instead of pontificating! Use the op-ed and editorial pages for your opinions.

.....move on.

There have been some recent reports (not that you would know from the reporting by the mainstream media) of WMD being located that were in the Iraq arsenal. As I recall, they were of the chemical nature....I cannot find the link to the report, so I will have to say this is from "memory" of a recent story on MSNBC and CNN both (yes, I couldn't believe it either)...if I can locate the reports I'll pass them along. Some of this is in how you define "IS". I do not think anyone will ever change their mind depending upon which side of this issue they are on EVEN if a missle loaded with a nuke warhead is uncovered in the sand just outside the green wall in Baghdad! One side would say "I told you so" and the other would claim that George Bush personally went there with a shovel and buried it himself to make it look like a WMD. Time to

Green P1...are you sure???? My bad if it is a regular PGA stop...sorry, but that makes it all the more "stupid". Another cut for Michelle, and another spot taken from a deserving PGA tour member trying to make the tour on a regular basis. This is just stupid...STUPID on the part of the PGA to allow the Michelle Wie CIRCUS to show up at PGA events. And, yes, your second part is a "lame argument". So, change the name to "Men's PGA TOUR" and Michelle would not be able to play...I think NOT! Again, sorry, I did think it was a senior's tour event. maybe the "older guys" have more sense than to allow the CIRCUS to come to town.

Very deserving, absolutely no doubt...but I am on the side of waiting a few years for induction into any Hall of Fame. I do not think the NFL and MLB "changes" the rules for exceptional players immediately after retiring. However, i will say again, I have no problems at all with the list of inductees, but to place folks in that soon seems to cut out some of those deserving UNT athletes who have "waited their time". Just my 2 cents worth. But, I am a bit of a traditionalist in case you haven't noticed. GO MEAN GREEN!

And now we see that Michelle Wie is playing in the LEGENDS (I guess she has given up on playing with boys her own age) Reno-Taho Open in stead of trying to qualify for the women's british open. Interesting to say the least. I personally hope that she misses this cut too, and that she will finally try to make a go of it on the LPGA. She has the talent and game to be one of the best LPGA players ever, but I am not sure she has the mental part of the game (yet) to allow her to be successful anywhere except in her own mind. Shame on the tournamnet sponsors, the PGA and everyone else involved in this circus. I think Hunter Mahan should go play in the women's british open. Hey, if it is good for the gander, perhaps it is good for the goose! Besides, Hunter may be exilied to some "far off tour" if he keep saying things publicly that he might need to keep a bit more pivate. Man, his comments about the Ryder Cup were "spot on", but I'll bet he takes a beating publicly for them. Ouch, what do you think he will say/do should he move into a top 8 spot and get an automatic berth in the Ryder Cup? I'll guess right now that he is NOT a captain's pick should he stay below the automatic eighth place. Hey, gotta hand it to him for speaking his mind, but he might need to think a bit first next time.

As a Viet nam era war vet I can tell you how frustrating it was to stop bombing Hanoi and to "just get out" when the thing could have ended differently. But, that is "water under the bridge" so they say, and it appears that the US is on the way to becomming a good trading partner with Viet Nam and in having strong political and economic ties with the nation. So it seems to go. Yes, we did "win the war", but the "peace" has been a tough battle. Looks to me like the coalition forces (don't forget other natuions, while small in number of committed troops, etc. are part of the fight) are actually winning both the "hot war", but the "hearts and minds" of the population. Interseting turn of events, and I do not expect the main stream media to heald it in any positive fashion. The challenge now appears to be helping Afghanistan "clean out the Talliban". We are directing more forces in that direction as we speak. In fact, I have a nephew who returned recently from his SECOND tour in Iraq saying he was "done" for good with being a soldier, but is now seriously considering returning to active duty to head to Afghanistan with some of his old Iraq soldier buddies. Man, the kid is a born soldier! The coalituion forces will win in both Iraq and in Afghanistan even if Pakistan seems to be riding the fence and playing both sides against each other... GOD Bless and protect all our coalition soliders and civilian workers who are "fighting the good fight" wherever they may be.

OOPS...maybe I've had too much beer already...correcting my last post...that is THREW not "through"....where is Maxine Turnage when you need her? So, who else remembers Maxine Turnage from the UNT English dept.? I am showing my age here.....

Tasty...I know you through that soccer comment in there just for me! The greatest threat to America right now is...drum roll please...the price of beer is on the ay up! Now, that, Mean Green nation, is a threat to all humanity, not just America. STOP the production of ethonol and alternative fuels...we need less expensive BEER!!!!!!

Lots of braggin' going on here! You go boys!

Looks to me like SMU is trying to "step it up" a pace opr two. You gotta hand it to them for the effort. Maybe the folks in athletics at UNT will take note. Think so?

Nice post DeepGreen and Amen to that Ben Stein!

Too much fun....this is a great way to spend some time....OK, I'll stop trying to get folks to "be happy" and look forward. Just trying to use every opportunity to get folks to think about positive stuff and reasons to support the Mean Green instead of looking backwards...Tasty...you just gave me the opening...yes, I am serious about trying to get folks to support the MEAN GREEN. I know you do!

Great fun, but I only had 39 right on my first try. I think I had another correct, Cinncinati (how do you spell that darn place?), but it says "NO"....isn't that a Bearcat helment and what is the blue one with the Tiger if it isn't Memphis State????? OK, so I tried. Great fun....thanks for posting this one.

97and03...I agree completely as I have been known to do the same thing. My response was more for "others" who seem to continue to hold to the same old and tired excuses as to why they will not buy tickets, join the Mean Green Club, join the Exes aka Alumni Assoc., etc., etc. I think some of those folks will die grumpy old people. Gotta put a smile on and move forward. Too much ennergy is expended trying to "stay mad". You have to work at staying mad...being happy and looking forward is sooooooo much easier! See you at Fouts!

I really don't care who is buying tickets or why, I just LOVE the fact that folks are buying Mean Green tickets. One reason you hire the head coach that you do is in the hopes that, along with winning games, he will fill seats. Seems like TD is doing that. There is a lady who works where I do that lives in Southlake...she and her husband have daughters, not sons, so no football players in the family, but they love TD and the Southlake Dragons. Guess what? Saw her, her husband and one daughter at a UNT game last season. They came in a big RV and had a tailgate event with friends at Fouts before the game. They intend to return this season. I don't knowe if they have season tickets or not, but they were sitting in Section E last season! The game I saw they attended, UNT LOST, but they left saying they would be back and to not worry as TD will get it done! How's that for a loyal following of "believers" in TD? Seems to me to be a good omen for good things to come at UNT. Better get those season tickets now, as the time is approaching when the "good seats" in the new stadium will be hard to come by....OK, so I have had a sip or two of the Kool-Aid, but just look around without your "looking glass to the past", and I think you would agree that it is much for fun to be at Fouts now than it was a couple of years ago. GO MEAN GREEN!

Tasty...get over it! Geezzzz Marie, some folks like to live in the past...in case you didn't know it Dickey is no longer the head coach at UNT...head on up Utah way if you like him so much...get freaking over it! The Mean Green WILL show improvement this year...BUT, even last season was more fun to watch that a Dickey team winning 6 or 7 games! You spell boring football D-I-C-K-E-Y!!! I recall the Fry days when he could lose 21-0 and you would leave the stadium sad about the loss, but glad you went to the game because it was exciting and fun football...like T Dodge football. Come on everyone, not just Tasty, stop the "looking back", the holding of some long past grudge, the blaming others for your lackl of support for YOUR UNIVERSITY. Let's look forward as the new season is about to "kick-off" with a new defensive coordinator and a head coach with a year's experience under his belt at the college head coaching level. You gotta believe it will be fun to be in Fouts this year! See you at the Kick-Off Cookout Saturday evening...get your tickets NOW! GO MEAN GREEN!

SE...nice post, except that last little comment of yours!

YES IT IS!!!!!

OK, I do clearly see everone's point here...believe me, I do...and you can count me in the group that has been treated less then "like a donor" should be treated by certain folks in athletics...BUT, I am still a member of the MGC BECAUSE it helps move athletics forward at UNT...I am a Life member of the Exes (or...as was said earlier...whatever they call it now), not because I am excited about the new name change...I am NOT....I am a member of the President's Council BECAUSE I support UNT...not because I personally like or dislike everything our new Prez is doing... I understand the "feel" when our MGC director makes statements like is reported here...and when the prior MGC director "snubbed" folks as was somewhat common with that individual...and when the "head honchos" in athletics do nothing to fix the situation...BUT, I am not employed in the dept. so really do not have facts regarding why folks are employed, remain employed, get promoted, etc. That is for the guys whose "fates" are on the line to deal with...for me., I just support UNT BECAUSE IT IS MY UNIVERSITY. Like I have said many times...and will keep saying...one can always find a reason to justify whatever they want to justify. In some cases we just need to accept that those folks...have whatever reason they have and move on....can't waste time worrying about "past mistakes" and past snubs, etc., etc. That kind of stuff makes one a reral grump before their time...I am moving on.....yes, I swallowed a bit hard when I re-upped my Mean Green Club membership last year, but thought it best to follow my own advice...I am much happier about it now that I don't let the "stuff" bother me as much...time to move ahead and move forward. Support the Mean Green anyway you would like...JUST SUPPORT UNT!!!!!

Question...how many "STUDENTS" actually pay the fees as opposed to parents, grandparents, scholarship money, etc., etc. My guess...less than 1/3 of the students currently enrolled at UNT are actually the ones digging into their own pockets to pay the fees. Just thinking out loud. FFR has a point in saying that the current 90,000+ non-giving alums in the DFW area might as well be "written off"....not all, but many as I have noticed on this board, folks can ALWAYS come up with an excure for not volunteering, buying tickets or contributing if they want to do so. That's easy, and if it sooths anyone's feelings so be it. To each his/her own. But, there are some alums in the area that just need to be asked! Yes, some (me) believe that folks should give back to their universities "just because" it is the right thing to do and should not have to be ASKED, but no one should be opposed to asking folks. For yearts UNT has done a VERY VERY poor job of asking...and that goes for the entire school, not just athletics....it's is not simply the number of times asked, but perhaps the WAY one is asked....and WHO is doing the asking and WHO is being asked. I think we need (and may well be doing so as we speak) to do a much better job of seeking out high profile alums, successful alums and "just plain alums like me" and getting them to re-engage with THEIR UNT! It is not "your father's UNT"...things have changed and are continuing to change, but if all we do is harp on the "way things were" or the "old ways and the old days" nothing will change. Time for everyone to take a fresh and new look at UNT without the clouded glasses of the past! Things are improving...I say again...things are improving...you too can be part of the solution or part of the problem...YOUR CHOICE! GO MEAN GREEN! SUPPORT YOU SCHOOL WITH YOUR TIME, YOUR TALENT AND YOUR $$$$$$$ See you at the Kick-off Cookout Saturday!

I like the shirt...front and back and would buy one or two! So, what will be done with the proceeds??? Could they be used to start a "new stadium fund"?????? Hey, any port in a storm...let's take matters into our own CMG.com hands and start a fund for stadium donations with the sale of this T-Shirt??? What say you???