KRAM1

FFRick...I understand where you are coming from in some of the comments you make regarding LL, but no other youth sports group can claim any better record of success over as long a period of time. I was "big time" involved in competitive soccer with my son being a team manager, a club president, a tournament director, league volunteer and referee, so I can say I have seen the "good, the bad and the ugly" in some VERY good organizations. Often the parents are the problem not the kids...that goes without saying. Some folks just think they "deserve" special favors and special "handling" for whatever reason and it looks bad for the group as a whole. There will ALWAYS be folks who find reasons to complain about any organization whether it be run by un-paid volunteers or paid professionals. I have seen some pretty BAD umpiring and refereeing done by experienced paid refs and some great jobs done by unpaid volunteers. I am sure you have too. In some areas of the country LL is the best thing going, in others...not so much. I played and coached in Dallas BBI (youth baseball)...thought it was a pretty well run group while I was involved, but some folks though otherwise... When I was approached by someone complaining long and loud about something within the club when I was president or a parent who was "upset" about something on the team I managed (managed, not coached), I would try to lisen to what they were really trying to say, then I would thank them for their concerns and input and I would ask them to volunteer their time and talent on the board or with the team in some capacity. More often than not, they then gave me a long list of excuses why THEY couldn't do anything and then they "ran for the hills". Always put a bit of a smile on my face. To give your time as a volunteer to any organization is often a way to make you a "target" for folks who "just don't have the time" to help, but have plenty of time to complain. On the other hand, it is a great way to spend quality time with young folks in a positive and fun environment. Now, if we could just get those parents to calm down.

ENOUGH ALREADY! Good thread, but looks to me like folks have their minds p[retty well made up on this subject. Let's talk football!

Personally, I am not in favor of adding any new program/sport (yes, that includes men's soccer) UNTIL the stadium is built. That should be the FIRST and BIGGEST priority as far as facilities or new programs goes at UNT. Well, that and selling more season tickets to both football and basketball. That's a hint folks, get out your checkbooks and buy tickets...best way to raise funding for a new stadium...fill the that we curremtly use each game! There you have it, your personal way to help fund a new stadium. If you can...this is it, and you get some great fall weekends with a bunch (but not nearly enough) of your MEAN GREEN NATION FRIENDS!

I just think the UNT-SMU thing is a bit more "nasty" than a UNT-TCU thing would be. UNT and SMU have had a "thing" going for some time and BOTH...MAKE THAT BOTH...programs need "rears in the seats", so it just makes sense to me as a rivalry game on the schedule each and every year...someone much more creative than I am can come up with a name for the annual game, but, I think it is a natural...too bad the SMU folks seemed a bit "shy" when it comes to setting this thing up on an on-going basis. Maybe that's because it just make too much common sense. Who knows?

Interesting idea...worth consideration. I, too, very much dislike playing the likes of OU and LSU to start a season. Not sure UNT needs to go the 1A route, but there are D1 schools that would make much better opening opponets such as NAVY, ARMY (on the schedule), Air Force, Rice, Baylor, TCU, SMU, Tulsa, New Mexico, etc., etc. that UNT might could schedule. But, of course, there is the $$$ question. It is a tough call for the folks in the athletic deopt. The money is co very critical, but these games have a way of "deflating" the early season, and I think reduce attendance at home games and overall support of the program. Folks "see" the record at 1-3, etc. and don't think about "who" UNT played...they just see a "losing record". Look, for our "real" fans, they get it...but, how many of those are really out there when it comes to donations, season tickets, etc., etc. Tough, tough call on the part of the athletic dept. A really good point to ponder.

I epect to see a much improved MEAN GREEN defense this year. I am looking forward to sitting in Fouts to see that first home game this year and the "new" attitude on defense. I can only imagine waht the record would have been last season with the defense I expect to see on the field this season...go get your season tickets now because this year is going to be a fun time to be in Fouts. GO MEAN GREEN...buy season tickets...if fans do not show up at Fouts why should anyone want to give big bucks for a new stadium when it seems no one cares enough to show up for games? Think about that a bit while you decide to buy or not buy season tickets. If you want a new stadium sooner than later you can do your part startuing right now by sitting in a seat at Fouts for every home game this next season. Just ponder on that idea for a moment or two. GO MEAN GREEN.

Just another example of the beauty of professional sports...if you can play well enough you can get away with anything and still get chance after chance to make way too much money playing a game! Yes, I know college athletes screw up all the time too, so let's not go there...Justin Willis is a prime local example.

I don't think Flower Mound had been using K-State's logo as long as the LL has been wearing MLB style uniforms/logos. I think the LL thing goes back way before there was a Flower Mound HS...but, to answer you question directly...Quoner...yes, I was pretty "hacked off" by K-State's actions too! But, that was HS and the HS did charge for attendance...the LL does not charge, they are 10-12 year olds and the LL is a great American institution that does a great job with young men/boys...all volunteer. A bit different in my book than a HS with paid coaches and ticket sales. If the LL charged for admission, I would be less "po'd" at MLB, but still hacked!

There is talk about travel costs for men's soccer and then folks advocate for men's baseball? How much travel is involved in a season that will play up to 50 games...not to mention the cost of a baseball complex and practice facilities, equipment coaching staffs, uniforms, insurance, etc., etc. We have a soccer pitch, uniforms and equipment for soccer is minimal and there are man7y fewer games played in a season with half being at home. I do agree that there is a definite problem with men's soccer in who to play...that is a given...there is SMU, Tulsa, New Mexico and Tulane (? - maybe) that are somewhat close, but after that...its a trip. Still it adds many $$$ to the athletic dept. budget for a prot that will not fund itself with ticket revenue...neither will baseball...or donations, so gotta just hope for the best someday. Lifer, yes, the 70's and early 80's were great for UNT men's soccer. I believe it is still the "winningest" sport in UNT athletic history. I ref'ed a "practice/pre-season" game for UNT once when the actual scheduled ref did not show up. Just happened to have my referee uniform in the car and one of the UNT ass't coaches knew I was a USSF certified referee. Fun, but geezzz, did the players ever gripe about some of my absolutely wonderful calls during the game. I did get out alive and told them they got what they paid for! I did it for free! Ha!

Where do you get that the stadium is 10 years away? Not going to be even half that! Bank on it!

I would set a per credit hour fee. Vote? Why? When i was at UNT I never got to vote on fee increases! I do, however, think it should be the business community, the alumni, and other Mean Green fans/supporters who should handle most of the cost. Naming rights could/should bring in some $$$$ too, and I would sell naming rights to almost every single part of the new stadium...the "Smith Family" Gate, The "Mike Jones" Visitors locker room, the Big Dogs Pizza ticket booth and on and on. OSU has done this sort of thing with great success in Stillwater for their multi-million dollar stadium upgrade and it isd a thing of beauty as a rennovation project. Sell naming rights to each locker in the athletic village as a way to get stadium $$$$$. hey, folks, there are people who buy "bricks" in walkways too...do that....lots of little things to get $$$ in and give someone something for their donation, etc., etc. But, still need that BIG DOG donation...would help a bunch.

Just another reason to love professional baseball! The LL has been using such uniforms in lots of places around th country for years...what in the sam hill is up with MLB? You would think that they would love the PR for the major leagues and want the young players to identify with the "Bigs". But, what do i know. With the pros...it's all about the money, isn't it? This just seals the deal for me! STUPID IS WHAT STUPID DOES! I will bet that with the PR MLB gets, they might just re-think this stupid move. Hope so!

Oh, Yee, of little faith! Ten years????? The stadium will be built long before your ten year wait is up, green bat...you gotta believe and have a bit more faith...it is getting closer every day!

Look folks, it is hard to get much tradition going when things change as often as they have with UNT Athletics over the last 20-25 years...how many logos? How many different NCAA divisions, how many different conferences, can we tailgate? can we not tailgate? What is the name of the mascot...Eppy? Scrappy? What is the color of green? Are we the Eagles or the Mean Green.....GEEEEEZZZZZ Louise! PICK SOMETHING and stick with it! Whatever it is! Just stay with it, and traditions will grow and folks will find reasons to support the programs instead of the countless number of reasons I have seen on this site as to why one does not support the programs. It is not Fouts! It is all this "other" stuff lots of you have mentioned here. Since all that has taken place it will take some time to "rebuild"...man, I hate that phrase...the new stadium (yes, it will be built soon) will help, having some great coaches will help...staying with the same color, logo, etc. will help...BUT MOST OF ALL what would help is if everyone would "get over whatever it is" and buy season tickets (and show up at the hgames), join the Exes, join the Mean Green Club and really get behind the adminsitartion, the athletic dept and most of all the players on ALL the teams. Find a way to be part of the solution, not and EXCUSE to be part of the problem! GO MEAN GREEN...JOIN THE MEAN GREEN CLUB...JOIN THE EXERS...BUY SEASON TICKETS AND COME TO THE GAMES...don't just stay in the tailgate areas...get yourself into the stadium BEFORE kick-off and enjoy some good timkes with the Mean Green nation. It means a great deal to the players to look around and see a great crowd. If you have ever played ANY sport...think about the times a larger than expexcted crowd showed up and how that made you feel. Well, out student-athletes are just the same...if for no other reason...SUPPORT THEM!

Only after men's soccer! OK...so, give me a breat GreenBat...I am just kidding. I don't think we'll see ANY new sports added until the football stadium is up and going! First things first and adding men's baseball certainly cannot be THAT high on the priority list. Can it?

The EAGLE FLIES! Go Mean Green! Great photo shot...nice, very nice. Thanks "Lifer".

NICE!

I just have to think that if UNT played in another conference the PR and rankings would be higher for this class. I still think UNT is "coming of age" in all its athletic programs, and it will still take a bit of time to gain the proper respect from the folks like Buzz. When UNT wins the "Belt and wins a few games in the NCAA's (and they will....have no doubt about that in the very near future) the respect will grow. For a team like UNT it is more of the "show me" than tell me...so, UNT will just show them! Way to go UNT Soccer...great class...will make for a young and exciting squad. Perhaps some "growing pains" will develop, but this will be a squad that will make some noise in the rankings given they stay healthy and all that! Go Mean Green Soccer!

Glad to have the "facts" on BP and TX A7M. Now I will tease them about cutting him from the BB squad...what do Aggies know anyway? Not much about baseball in the last few weeks it seems...what a sklide by the A&M baseball team going into the NCAA's....gotta love those Aggies...NOT!

Interesting...very interesting...let her play!

Folks, to me it is useless to continue to argue for the Pit Bull being a breed worthy of being a pet or anywhere withinn 5 miles of a human for that matter. The breed is "screwed up" as are many (I did not say all) of the owners of Pit Bulls. Again, why in the sam hill would anyone...ANYONE...bring a Pit Bull into a home? You can argue the merits of the breed all you want, but there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON that has any justification AT ALL for the Pit Bull being a good family pet! Give that one a rest PLEASE AND THANK YOU. I would be more than happy if there was a "bounty" on Pit Bulls like there was at one time on other "dangerous critters" in New Mexico and elsewhere. OK, so maybe I am not THAT bold as to advocate a "bounty", but I do advocate placing a big burden on the owners (financially and otherwise) on the owners of such animals (not just Pit Bulls). You want one...ok...buy a bond with cash to handle the financial part and sign a document acknowledging you know the dangers in owning such an animal and being will to GO TO JAIL should the darn thing do harm to anyone. I wonder how many Pit Bull "pets" would be around the neighborhood??? Hmmmmmmmmm...I do HATE the damn things! WORTHLESS...TOTALLY WORTHLESS!

I go to the games because I support the Mean Green, but, for me, the schedule is the MUCH bigger problem when it comes to drawing fans...like many of us on this board have said...play a quality opponent/an "interesting and recognizable" opponent and folks WILL show up...Last year's navy game is a case in point. Great crowd and I did not hawer ANYONE complaining about Fouts before, during or after the game. There were a few comments about our defense...or lack thereof...but, no one was mentioning Fouts. Bring on navy, Army, Air Force, baylor, SMU, TCU...even Tulsa and folks will show up. Still can't get too excited about Fla Int'l, etc. I think the opponent is a much bigger factor thasn Fouts itself! But, we will have a new stadium soon...yes, Virginia, we will! GO MEAN GREEN!

And, in case you didn't realize it...the state of OK will match donations to universities for endowed chairs. So, that makes it $200 million. However, reports are that Oklahoma (the state) is WAY behind in actually matching such donations. Who would have guessed that? By my count that's about $400million (without the match) that BP has given to OSU SO FAR. I can't help but remind my TX A&M friends that when Boone applied there they turned him down, so off he went to OSU. Don't know why the turndown, but that's the story anyway! Gotta love those Aggies. As far as Norah Jones goes, she is just like all the other entertainers (that includes Dr. Phil) that hace come out of UNT. They take classes, either get a degree or drop out, but never seem, in any numbers, to support the school with their $$$ after they leave. I don't think we should wait and hold our collective breaths until one of our "entertainer types" comes up with any significant dollars. It always seems to be left to that "business guys" who half the stdents at UNT (and many other schools) seem to think are the ones spoiling the earth, killing all the polar bears, creating global warming and plain doing everything evil. But, much like the U.S. as a whole, when dollars or "actually doing something" is needed, who gets up off their rears and does something...The US as a nation and the likes of Boone Pickens...a guy from the business world. Brad and Angelina would rather run around the world in jet aircraft (no pollution there) and adopt third world kids (even though there are plenty of kids who need adopting right here in the US). OK, I am now off my soapbox for at least a few seconds!

Green Mean...Aws most folks on this board know by now...I am 100% behind your comment and interest in re-starting a men's soccer program at UNT. It could very well happen, but a few "other" things need to be completed first...and funding needs to be there. AS RV once said...and I will paraphrase...I do not want to have money for one year for a men's soccer program and then have to shut it down again. If there were money to start and maintain a program on an on-going basis RV would put it together immediately. I really do believe that as RV has said that more than once. So, how do we go about raising $$$ for such? Ideas please...

Some of our Exes and "fair weather fans" certainly use Fouts as an EXCUSE to not attend games, just like some use their dislike for certain folks in the athletic dept., or certain coaches, etc., etc. If you want to find a reason (read "excuse") for not attending games you can always find one. Fouts is not the reason as several have pointed out in this thread...if that were the case the Navy game, Baylor game, etc., etc. would not have been so well attended. Fouts has VERY little (if anything) to do with overall attendance. Play interesting teams, play good (I did not say always winning) and exciting football and they will come watch in a HS 2A stadium. I think you get my drift. The new stadium is on the way, and it will be great to see all the "rears in the seats" simply because we have a new stadium...Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Oh, my guess, we'll still have some of our so-called fans thinking up new excuses for not coming. Like, gee, they raised ticket prices or I have to donate (imagine that) money to sit in the "good" seats, and I think the stadium is ugly or it is too hard to park...oh, alas, they charge for parking! Come on, let's fill Fouts Field this next season. Some of you folks, please "get over" whatever you have stuck in your craw and support the Mean Green with your attendance. The palyers on the field work very hard and our coaching staff is the best it has been in a long time. The games are fun to watch, and ticket prices are VERY reasonable. What else do you need? GO MEAN GREEN! See you at the games!