KRAM1

October 20th at 7pm at the Super Pit. Always an enjoyable evening showcasing both the UNT men and women. Free event. Come to the Super Pit and meet this year's teams...and enjoy a little early hoops fun.

This! Thank you Sir!

Just hit the ignore button. If the shoe fits...wear it. Sorry if it hit too close to home for you. We were discussing attendance and folks were giving their opinions. I gave mine. Don't like mine, fine, put me on ignore. By the way, was that you accusing me of stealing your beer?

Going to be a lot of people sorry they missed seeing that game. But, of course, they will claim they were there in numbers that would have made it a sellout. Great effort over a "name" team within our own conference. People say if we bring in name teams fans will show up. Well, so much for that theory. Sure, Marshall isn't a Big XII or SEC team, but they are most certainly a "name" team folks recognize. Heck, they even have that "we Are Marshall" movie thing going for them. Alas, a very small crowd. But, I had a great time. Saw a great game. Met some new folks. And even Got accused in the tailgate area of stealing some guy's beer out of his cooler....I had one of my Yuenglings and the guy had some himself...actually came up to me and said "You steal that beer out of my cooler? I can tell because I have counted them". Ha! Told the guy it was mine and that I did not need to steal beer at tailgates. Geeezzzzzzz...a first, but since he was wearing Mean Green and not Marshall green, all was good. But, guy needs to work on his first impressions! Great football weather as well. Hard to understand Mean Green fans who chose to not come to this game. But, is what it is. Those that cared enough and were available and close enough to come showed up. As the team is growing into a winner, our fan base is doing the same. Keep winning and they will come. Bandwagon or not...we need 'em.

Met a College of Arts and Sciences prof yesterday at an Oktoberfest event who said he bought eight tickets through this program and was excited to see it. He needs eight tickets per game and at regular pricing was a bit much when parking and concessions were added to the mix. He said he was excited to be able to go and take his family and extended family as well. By the way...he is a UTgrad (undergrad) and prefers to attend the UNT game.

Nice! Lots of support these days from the highest levels of administrative and academic personnel. BRAVO!

TCU

Frazier is on the team, working out, practicing and going to class. As Andrew stated, due to transfer rules he will not be eligible to play until December.

Ryan...Marshall is not homecoming. Homecoming is Nov. 5th. Or, were you just predicting our homecoming attendance? Always wonder why folks think this should impact our game. We are UNT not Texas or Zero U. UNT is our University...our team.

I was at the game in 1988, but have heard about it. However, I did attend our game at Marshall last season, and every Marshall fan I ran into before, duringand after the game were very respectful and nice. Maybe time has mellowed them a bit.

I don't know...looks like a pretty exclusive tailgate to me! They obviously don't let just anyone in.

He never left. He has only stopped posting.

Oh, great idea. However, tons...tons of work and dollars needed for that. First, setting up the non-profit organization to operate the program. Then tons of fund-raising and work to establish the award on a national scale...not to mention getting Joe's OK to use his name and likeness in promotions, awards, etc. But, biggest challenge is to gain respect for the award. Must be promoted on a national scale. Definitely could be done, but do not underestimate the initial and on-going work required from a pretty large group of volunteers and donors. Now, an annual team award...not so difficult.

In a few short years Braswell will be beating the crap out of everyone on its schedule...or will at a minimum be very very competitive. It is the way it works. Count on it.

You thinking of a UNT team award or award on a national scale?

While, admittedly initially skeptical of the hiring of these consultants due to their obvious ties to a certain donor, I am extremely excited about where this report will help take UNT athletics. Many of UNT fans, either publicly or privately, were well aware of many of the issues pointed out in this report. However, as has been pointed out here already, having a third party put it all in writing in a professional manner is another thing entirely. Yes, the report is short, but does seem to hit a lot of the major issues. What concerns me the very most were the reports regarding the lack support for our student-athletes and the condition of some of the facilities they utilize that are not often seen by the general public and fans. My response is BRAVO! This report is the ultimate roadmap for Wren Baker and Company. A roadmap that President Smatresk seems more than willing to join Wren Baker in traveling. However, they cannot do it alone. This is going to take "buy in" from the fan base and the inclusion of the students, faculty and staff, alumni community and surrounding local communities to accomplish. Those groups cannot just sit back and "let someone else do it". Simply transferring the stadium debt to the University is not going to provide the necessary funds to get this done. So, the question seems to be...will those groups step forward to be part of the solution or continue to sit back and let someone else do it? Initial indications are that some are willing...the crowds at the Coaches Radio Show have been building, the crowd at last week's Rice game was excellent (and loud), students seem to be returning to Apogee, the ticket office seems to have made some very positive steps forward, there have been two very high profile AD hires, our soccer program was provided a third full-time coach (tell me, who except a very few even noticed that step forward?), our Cheer and Dance program has been moved to Student Services (better funding possibilities and better utilization of student resources), etc., etc. While a few of these "moves" have not been overly obvious to the general fan, they are significant in both scale and scope. So, Bravo to our "consultants", but an even bigger BRAVO to a university administration willing to accept this report and to use it as a roadmap forward. Won't happen overnight, and fans need to be willing to step up and accept some changes, but, if you are a Mean Green fan, you really should be very hopeful and excited for the future for our student-athletes and overall athletic program.

300 according to Dr. Smatresk in the State of the University talk Thursday and they are included. The New College at Frisco is 100% part of the Denton UNT campus. Enrollment expected to grow to 500 soon, and I think I heard somewhere that they are looking for about 2500 over time.

Low pay, low travel reimbursement and disrespectful crowds, coaches and players all add up to officiating shortages in many high school and youth sport programs these days. I know my soccer association was always looking for refs and so was my competitive associations along with the high schools. After I retired, I still got constant calls to please reconsider and come back and ref. It is not for everyone, and lots of folks think it is "someone else's job". So, they don't get involved. It does take time, study, practice and commitment to be even half way decent. But, it is also fun. The enjoyment will far outweigh the crap-ola you have to put up with on a fairly regular basis. It takes time to train, certify and re-train and certify every year. If you are doing it for the pay, you won't last long. You have to do it because you love youth sports. If parents, players and coaches would show a bit more respect it would help as well. There were teams I refused to ref, unless we were in a really bad situation for refs, because the parents and coaches were simply idiots. Not worth it to me. Plus, being an "older and more experienced" ref had me placed at quite a few "problem" games. That got tiring I can tell you, but better me in the center than some young ref just starting out I guess. I loved my 30 plus years as a ref and would encourage anyone who has the time and desire to get involved as a ref, an umpire or whatever you wish. Just go into it for the right reasons...and that isn't the pay! How do you get involved? Call the local high school and ask for the referee, umpire, etc. phone number...call it...they will send you all the info you need. It is a shame these players do not have adequate officiating. If at all interested....you can help. Ladies, you listening? You can be certified as well in any sport. Think about getting involved.

Works for the Arlington Police Dept. in communications...he is also the media face of the Dept. should they have need for TV interviews, etc. At least that is what he told me when he left.

Really? Did my comment on Cooper disparage him? I thought I was talking about the donation required. Cooper did not set those donation levels. Did you have the feeling that he did? And, is one not to even mention a past administrator in the athletic dept? Is that a rule here or something because I seem to see you posting about our previous AD ad naseum...."it's what you do". Touché!

Now that's funny!

Sigh...UNT90 being UNT90. If he doesn't go personal, it's just not UNT90 these days. Sad. No use even trying to have a discussion. Guy gets what he wants and then just finds other random stuff to complain about. UNT90 doing what UNT90 does. Sigh........Glass isn't half full, it's flat empty for him. OK, fine. You don't know? In fact, he has been gone a long time. Odd you didn't know that.

Totally agree with you and have made this exact point from the very beginning. In fact, one of my very first questions to Cooper Jones when discussing Club seats was, "you mean I can buy one, two, four or six club seats with the same $500 donation level"? When he said yes, I just shook my head and told him that was a big mistake and would come back to bite you in the rear end. My speculation at the time was that they were more interested in the immediate stadium donations than the longer term sustaining MGC donations. A mistake, but was what it was I guess. I have given above the minimum so no biggie, but it has become a biggie for some club seat holders. If they couldn't see this coming, they just haven't been looking. The good news is that the change has been made at the point where it could and there should not be such problems going forward. I am guessing that club seat agreements/contracts going forward will spell things out much clearer and will be much longer than the ones we original seat holders signed.

Spin? No Sir. Just a reasonable discussion on a friendly basis until you decided to Do what you always do these days. If you think making a large donation equates to a "decrease", then so be it, but that, Sir, is indeed spin. Never said it was or was not a price increase, you are the one all over that...you said ticket prices were increased. I simply asked if they were as I missed it if they were. It is simply a fact that some folks saw a decrease in required donation....note I said some and in my first post I said "few". That is not spin, it is simple fact. Because it doesn't fit your narrative does not make it spin. Sorry you see everything as an attack on your position.

How does a large donation to the MGC equate to a decrease for anyone? I don't understand. Required donations are per seat now as it should be, but making a large donation to the MGC does not make for a decrease unless I am really missing something here. I have raised my MGC donation each year on my own and have experienced no reduction in costs. Please explain. Have I missed a decrease somehow?