NT80

Why not start by asking for the $5 million then use it to lure the $15 million donor?

There is the key...donations. WHY has there not been more of a push for Stadium donations? I know the box-thinking says you want a % secured before telling small donors to give, but this is North Texas, we are full of small donors. Set a date for starting construction for 2009, get fans excited. Have a committment plan where donors can divide up a donation over 4 year installments, then push it. Or phase in the thing...fund the architect plans, next fund the grade work, then fund the plumbing, then the foundation, etc. Anything is better than this maybe, maybe not.

This seems a strange time for this subject to have come up. Maybe some questions were asked about the process as a whole recently? I see it mentions DD under contract through 2008. At least we know the make or break limit we have to endure. Would that be D-Day then?

If you were the Rice AD who would you rather call to get fans excited?

The feedback replies are great. Good job guys! This "writer"(?) must be DMN Kevin Blackistone's son.

It says their OC is better than our HC. Doesn't everyone already know that?

I think you'll see this same scenerio play out at Tulane. Too much cost for a private school that doesn't want the funds drawn away from academics and because some admins think their academics are the only advertising the school needs anyway. Unless you're Notre Dame, USC, or Stanford, it's hard to justify a flighty private school with a poor football program trying to keep up.

I fully expect a candidate with an SMUt background submitted by him.

We (fans) put too much hope in recruiting profiles, too often it doesn't pan out. The results on the field are what counts and that was a bust this year. While I'm all for signing college-experienced JUCOs, why is it that only 1/3 of our JUCO signees stick around and make even nominal contributions?

Nothing new, which is concerning.

Rice coach denies report he's resigning 01:39 PM CST on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Associated Press HOUSTON – Rice football coach Ken Hatfield said Tuesday he was looking forward to next year's opening game against UCLA, denying a local television report that he would resign as head coach. "I think we're set to have a good football team. I feel good about the youth," Hatfield told a news conference Tuesday. "We'll see where we go from here." Houston television station KRIV, citing anonymous sources, said Monday night that Hatfield had decided to leave his post. Hatfield has coached at Rice since 1994. The Owls were 1-10 this season, the team's worst record during Hatfield's tenure and Rice's worst mark since they went 0-11 under Jerry Berndt in 1988. Rice lost 14 straight games between 2004-05, ending what had been the nation's longest I-A losing streak with a 42-34 win over Tulane on Nov. 12. Attendance at 70,000-seat Rice Stadium dwindled to embarrassing levels this year. Rice averaged 10,072 fans at its five home games – an all-time low in 56 seasons – and the home finale against Central Florida on Nov. 19 drew only 8,267. Hatfield is 55-78-1 in 12 seasons at Rice, but the Owls have had only one winning season since going 7-4 in 1997. They went 8-4 in 2001.

Middle Tennessee 81, Chattanooga 71 NT men play at 7pm-ish Saturday vs. Chattanooga after the NT women play SMU at 5pm Saturday.

It couldn't hurt. The personal touch of a DD message mailed to current MGC members is long overdue, maybe too long? Many members just want to help and the acknowledgement from a coach that they are. The veiled jabs at fans on radio won't be easy to erase with just a canned mailer.

Your friend has some points, but some Big?12 arrogance also. True college football fans will watch any game at any time and with some interest, and most will cheer for the underdog. It is bland to cheer for semi-pro teams like UT, USC, OU, et al. They are expected to win all games every year or they stink. The glory for NT is the new steps of Bowl games, upset wins, National TV games. It's much more fun to be the young stud instead of the usual old guy.

I remember JJ's very first scrimmage at NT, he made a point to walk around and thank, talk and listen to fans that were there, much like RV does. DD just seems more distant from fans to me, but he's always been cordial when we pass. Coaching is as much about PR with fans as with recruits. They need to sell their programs and present a positive outlook; I don't always hear that from DD.

Don, thanks for sharing the replies from BR. Those are all critical topics. I do expect him to be the protector of athletics for us on the higher-admin level. I'd rate his response about the potential President as a positive, keeping DD as a neutral to negative (but expected); and the Stadium issue as a big negative at this point in time. One thing that can counter a negative season is a new facility announcement. It would spur ticket sales, excitement, and recruits by itself for the short term. I do wish the Stadium issue was promoted more on the Athletics Site and in communications. Who knows, a thousand small donations might equal 10 big ones? I do know, as mentioned by officials, football drives the bus at NT and a down year for it impacts all sports. That's why it so important to either fix the Buick or trade it!

Yes, both men's and women's came with the season ticket mailing.

An excellent start! I do think we lost what little respect we gained from winning the SBC, and that was not as much as some would believe. National respect comes from beating non-SBC teams, which we haven't done for 8 years.

How about the OOC games?

I wish we had a nice new stadium to host these potential students and recruits: 4A DIVISION I STATE SEMIFINALS Stephenville (13-0) vs. Highland Park (13-0) 2:00 Saturday at Denton's Fouts Field I, however, will be at Texas Stadium at 1:00 pm Saturday to see Plano (13-0) hopefully knock off Southlake Carroll (13-0). Should be another well-attended game, if the weather is nice 30,000+ Then I'll head up to Denton for the NT Basketball doubleheader. Women vs. SMUt at 5pm, Men vs. UT-Chattanooga at 7pm-ish.

humm.....

Good interview with DD. He seemed to be soul-searching for what went wrong this season. I don't know if it was talent, discipline, organization, coaching, desire or whatever but there was a lot missing. Some of it was the players that didn't play this season that were counted on like Byerly, Big Cat, etc. Lingering injuries nagged several positions, plus like he mentioned a lot of little things that added up during close games that cost us wins. It will be tough to recover all that is needed in time for next season. Let's hope the changes made come fast and are effective. BEAT SMUt !

Me either. ASU +21 vs. Any CUSA team

It's a Tuesday night and it's not in New Orleans. I still say ULL would have had a crowd of 27,000 and ASU will do good to bring 7,000. I do hope you prove me wrong!

Lots of luck.