pastorgrant

I just see things like him practically giddy about how good Antonio Johnson looks during spring practice, yet he uses his inexperience and the fact that he used to be a tight end every chance he gets when he wants to say how bad UNT will suck this year. It's that kind of spin that I see a lot lately (Johnson is just one example) that drives me nuts. I get not wanting to blow smoke, but when you twist things to make them seem worse, that's just as bad in my opinion. If we don't get at least 4 wins this year, ill come on here and eat my words.

I get the same thing. Seems to me like all we get from him lately (this hasn't always been the case) is him spinning everything he can as negatively as possible. Everyone I've been in contact with who has actual info about how things are going with the team says its night and day better than last year, but you'd never know that from Vito. I love Vito, but I think I'm done with getting my daily dose of doom and gloom for a while. And just for the record, a good coaching staff can make a less than ideal roster better than the undercoached, injury plagued mess we had last year. I'm confident that this year will be an improvement over last year, even if its just by a little bit.

They are a bit delusional but that's one way to be a fan. My 2 year old recently asked me to reach the moon and get it for him. When he gets a better understanding of proportions and distances, that will seem silly up him. At UNT, we have the benefit of perspective. Having spent significant time playing FBS football, we understand that it is an uphill battle, doable, but it takes lots of time and effort.

Chicken Killer (its a barley wine) but also just about anything Belgian. Also really like Jeremiah Red from BJ's

http://businessofcollegesports.com/2011/06/15/sun-belt-conference-finances/ Found this link after following a link posted by Vito. Your thoughts?

This. UNT is a great school, and having worked with UNT students over the last several years, I can tell you that the great majority of them think of it as a good, challenging, and fun school, which it just is. I had lots of options but only applied to UNT because its where I wanted to go.

Best: Baylor 03... Also, I can't remember exactly when it was, probably 03, but I think we beat mtsu to win the Belt and the representative from the belt, I think he was the president, sounded like he was drunk over the PA system. Awesome win+good laughs. Felt bad for the guy when I listened to the ticket the following week, though. Those guys are brutal. Worst: Tulsa game a couple years back where we got completely trounced. I had high hopes for that season, and that was a real let down to me.

I know stuff exactly like this happens in basketball, and would be shocked if it doesn't happen in football just as much or even more.

Ahhh, The Tomato. What fond times we had together.

Thanks for putting this together. I'm looking forward to more installments.

This is a great schedule, lots of winnable games.

Me too, and I'll be shaking my pom poms with you I won't be disappointed if we don't have a big turnaround this year, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if we did. These coaches know what they're doing.

I only ever saw him rated 3* on scout, so I don't know.

awesome, +1 Also, +1 and thanks to the people who gave examples of our commitments losing stars.

I've heard this mentioned a few times lately. Does this really happen? Are there some examples anyone is familiar with?

I totally understand your point here, and it is well taken. However, when I mentioned the sleepers in the class, I was talking about 2* or unrated players who had scholarship offers from Big 12, Big 10, SEC and BE schools. I'm not talking about amazing players who somehow no one noticed. I think that's the truest indicator (as far as we can tell this early, which isnt far), and the thing that shows this class is at least a little better than the stars would suggest.

Yeah, good call. Hard to tell on my phone

Yes thanks so much! You provided all the hard work behind regular and much-needed breaks from studying/writing.

I hope those knee braces are precautionary. I know a lot of linemen are doing that now.

I'm counting 6 3* guys and Brooks, Polk, and Stojkovic aren't among them. There are some real finds in this class, I wouldn't let the star count skew that, they don't mean a lot.

It was awesome that Coach Mac said that (I'm paraphrasing) the team doesn't look like a D1 postseason caliber team from a physical standpoint, but that they would by the time September rolls around. With that mentality and brutal honesty, we may see some real development over the summer.

Agree with all three, and would add Swarn and Brooks.

I know this is a ridiculous analogy, but in 7th grade, we switched coaches in the middle of a season. I was starting as a blocking TE and the new coach ran a spread (I also had a broken thumb at the time). Needless to say, I lost my place in the system. Now, I know this isn't 7th grade football, but if I were one of these amazing D1 athletes and a similar thing happened to me in college, I would have been really disappointed. Not sure what the best solution would be, just want to say I understand the players' perspective.

206"? I'm getting a pair of whatever shoes he was wearing.

I guess I'm the perpetual optimist, but while we do need one or two more, but we did pick up two good DTs. Both had interests from big programs, and Brooks had offers from OSU and Arkansas (final BCS rankings 13 and 12, respectively). We will be thin there, but both (and Brooks especially) look like they have real potential to be impact players.