PlummMeanGreen

Transformation? Oh shit! Here we go again. That concept alone will I'm sure unify the NCAA. (insert maximum sarcasm) Someone please tell me eventual monetary self gain for these so called reformers are not part of their zeal to do all this reforming? Wonder why the NCAA Fat Cats can't live on what their "to the moon" budgets already are? Are they all trying to challenge our country's national budget? Well, look how that is working out and.....do we even have a national budget yet? Plus......many of their Power 5 HFC's are already doubling, tripling and quadrupling what their campus president's make already. Where does all this insanity stop? Wish I could sugar coat things more but there are more years behind me than in front for me to worry about doing that sorta' thing anymore. GMG!

Much too long to read in one sitting but if you read this at all read half of it this AM and the rest this PM: AM: You're right, GrandGreen, a million is nothing but in the original statement by that "phantom UNT alum who owns the annual multi-million dollar producing business" he also added......"or whatever it takes" money-wise. OK, granted, we've all been brow beaten and whooped with this football program for the most part of the last 30 plus years with so few bright spots along the way in the same timeline B U T...........just like each of us has the power to change each of our own lives, its direction and even to a great degree our destinies (if you will) with maybe even Lady Luck smiling on us to help, even some Divine Providence (for the many of us who gravitate in that direction) and even sometimes even getting by with a little help from our friends (as in business referrals just like the Former Students of TAMU do en mass).................anyhow........... ...................most all that we project on this message board with our comments is with the idea that this program will find its own version of the old American dream (again) to advance itself and grow with quality, ie, winning football seasons commensurate with the growth of the very burgeoning North Texas Metroplex that our favorite university is located. (For starters, what if UNT had merely progressed like most all our former Mo' Valley Conference mates)? PM (after all the little Froggies have gone to the Lilly Pond to "rivvet" themselves to sleep). Quite frankly, if had we realized such progress with Mean Green football post-Fry's leaving for the Big 10 and Iowa in our last 30 plus years then I honestly believe such growth and progress would have produced the kind of results which would have had this regions largest university with the most alums, ie, North Texas as the DFW entry into the Big 12 instead of Froggy'ville over in south Fort Worth off illustrious and venerable ol' Berry Street. Say what you think or believe, but IMHO it took UT A.D. DeLoss Dodds a tremendous amount of biting of his lips to sponsor a 2'nd Texas-based private university into the Big 12 based mostly on SWC history, that is, those schools collectively "being a pain in the SWC public university's butts" while in the Southwest Conference becoming Arkansas A.D. Frank Broyles main problem with the SWC, ie, all its Texas-based private schools which he said did not "tow their part of the line at all with the rest of us public universities" hence his main reason to make such an easy exit of the SWC while simultaneously getting Arkansas an SEC invite. Remember how(?)...........even TCU had to go thru their own pigskin misery most of the last 25 plus years of the old SWC before it disbanded? Then TCU (with others) were told the neighborhood was going to be demolished and then several other SWC schools (along with TCU) who did not quite make the grade were rudely not given a forwarding address to what would become the new Big 12? THEN.............after the SWC implosion, TCU had to go thru one of the most interesting conference-to-conference journeys ever in the NCAA being members of almost 4 or 5 conferences before they finally stumbled onto their "A-ha" experience figuring out what it was exactly that they had to do to: (1) keep their doors open for business in a city that at the time did not support them at all especially their last 25 year in the SWC, ignoring their athletic venues during that same time period (sound familiar?) and because of that creating a basic non-interst from Deloss Dodd, UT (the chairman of the board FWIW) and the Big 12 to even think about chosing TCU over Baylor, and yes, we all know the politics (Ann Richards & Bob Bullock) that got Baylor a surprise invite into the new Big 12 initially and then; (2) the TCU leadership who figured out after decades after decades that they would really have to "finally" turn loose some of their impressive private school endowment in order for them to do what Baylor had already schooled them on before they would be able to (more or less) have the opportunity to, uh.............Swim With The Sharks? Or should I say swim with all the much larger student enollment/alumnus public university constituencies as well as that group being better funded across the board. And it being that group that would be those Big 12 sharks. (insert theme music of the movie.... Jaws). Midnight AM/PM Trip To The Fridgadaire Snack Reading: Jury will still be out if TCU will become the new Baylor of the Big 12; that is, realizing so few Big 12 football championships (of which Baylor has "NONE") over the course of upcoming decades but rather basically go to the same kind of bowl games that a winning North Texas will be going to once the win cycle returns to the University of North Texas. In fact, didn't Northern Illinois of the MAC go to a much, much better bowl game last January than most of the Big 12 schools come to think of it? Just win, North Texas, because that is what it's always been about from the git-go. Why we stumbled for so long beats many of us but I believe after 40 years of following Mean Green football that we finally have found ourselves in the right ocean (the "new" C-USA) as well as our sails set in the right direction--in fact, don't you just almost feel the same way? GMG! .

Of course I'm biased, but these Texas HS kids (and out of staters for that matter) who come out to Apogee and the Mean Green Village cannot be anything but impressed. We already have a great NCAA FBS transfers network in play, but these Friday Night Lights high school camps will pay nothing but great dividends as time goes by. We are all in a hurry for success to return to UNT, but we all have to remember that once the Romans had a plan that their city was not built overnight. We all want something solid that will have staying power; not just a flash in the pan or a one hit wonder. I think this is what Coach Dan McCarney gives us and did from Day One. At a wedding I DJ'ed & Emceed last night.................. I spoke to a recently retired west Texas HS football coach (a 4-A HS) and graduate of Texas Tech and he would not stop bragging about what he saw in his own recent tour of Apogee Stadium with him saying............... "yalls entire athletic village of venues (along with the football stadium) is what impressed me the most and their visibility are 2'nd to none." He added that he had no idea all this was happening in Denton. I think that is the reason for (perhaps) a slow start with these exciting HS football camps program Coach Mac and staff have instituted is because many other Texas high school football coaches are also just now discovering what the retired HS coach from west Texas had only recently just discovered. GMG! And might the "very quick" -1 on this subject just possibly be from one of our usual critic/haters, an ex CUSA'er, new CUSA'er or Big 12 regulars? I know, its easy to become jealous of what is going on at North Texas; hell, if I had attended some of your schools I'd sure as hell be jealous of what I would easily be able to see with my own eyes as far as what is going on in Mean Green Country. A recent Southeast Conference athletic official who toured 'the Village" was equally impressed so go ahead and be be impressed. It's quite OK.

If that were the case and you are using some kind of new math, then that means the "Road (take Peptol Bismol) Runnies" record would be, uh, -3 wins? We know that among college message boards that Harry's GMG.com is the creme de la creme along with being very informative and even very entertaining, too, but good gosh', what's it all about with all these ex CUSA and Big 12 visitors who seem to inhabit this forum on a somewhat regular basis? GMG!

Now come on, UNT90, you cannot say "napkins" because in the most subtle of ways that is code for being anti-feminist. Seriously, the best laid plans for a "newbie" coming into NCAA FBS is to mostly be seen and not being susceptible of being heard too much. Coker has won a national championship so that has been and will continue to be difficult for him to do even at a football start-up school. UTSA and UH: I think as U of Houston found out when they hit a snag, ie, a string of losing seasons and then the novelty of playing off campus in a city-owned domed stadium-- and that being "the 8'th Wonder of the World" Astrodome became old and un-productive for their football program. When UH first started in the 'Dome, they too had lights out attendance but that would eventually dwindle. Of course, a national clamor for schools' who'd been playing off campus to "move back to campus" would occur which Baylor U finally figured out for themselves after decades of playing at Floyd Casey Stadium. Thanks to ex Houston Astros owner and Baylor alum Drayton McClane, work has already begun on their new "on campus" stadium adjacent to the Brazos River. Seems that North Texas may have started a "new or re-do's of a stadium" craze but no one would in the Texas we all know would ever admit or give creedance to UNT for doing that, right? I'll always say when TCU saw we had plans of building a new one from scratch their engines went into over-drive because at the time they announced their re-do of ACS it would at that time be beyond their wildest dreams that he Big 12 would ever become a possibility. Heck, the Froggies had just been on a 4 or 5 different conference membership odyssey with a destination that I think even surprised Frogdom faithful. Still amazing to some that UT's DeLoss Dodds who had really never been a fan of the private school in the Lone Star State would sponsor TCU. Dodds all by himself could have squelched the whole idea of a 2'nd private school in the Big 12. Still, TCU will always have to genuflect to UT-Austin no matter what. They will also have to concern themselves that UT and OU will not pull a TAMU and leave the Big 12, too. IMO and as an outsider looking in, UTSA should start a master plan (if they haven't already) to build a new on-campus stadium along with their own version of our Mean Green Village with its impressive group of venues that most recently even impressed a Southeast Conference official. Not sure what a long-lasting and appropriate alternative would be for UTSA than to do this quite frankly and..............all they have to do is look toward Waco and then start taking notes. GMG!

These are some of the more notable schools we've hosted whether at Fouts, the Cotton Bowl Stadium or nearby Texas Stadium (before it became 'the late, great Texas Stadium), so really the whole idea of bringing in a so called Big Boy would by no means be a novelty for North Texas: Oregon State (a win for us at Fouts), Texas A & M (before approx. 50,000 at TX Stadium), Kansas State, SMU, TCU, Rice, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State, New Mexico, Indiana, Boise State (as a then conference foe), Army, Navy, Florida State, Brigham Young U, San Diego State (when ranked #19 the day we beat them at Fouts Field) and who have I missed? I believe most all of us think we need to bring in a biggie when we can and I hope our leaders are thinking the same. I believe Coach Mac is building a team that will be competitive now, but isn't the best time to schedule a so called Big Boy to one's home stadium is when most of them think we are easily beat'able? So maybe UNT needs to shake and bake with this idea before we become un-defeatable at Apogee Stadium? And won't that be a good problem to have once again in Mean Green Country no matter who we play? GMG!

Lets say one of our heavy hitters told UNT AD Rick Villarreal something like this: "Rick, here is $1 million dollars (or whatever it takes) of a specially designated gift from me and my business for you to bring in the biggest high profile school in University of North Texas athletic history; and I'd prefer such a school that rarely comes to the Lone Star State.... .......that is, a school that would take the bait and love the recruiting exposure of the 7 million populated North Texas Metroplex. And (preferably) I want you to find a school other than UT, OU or anyone from the Big 12 for that matter. ________________________________________ Your school choice & why? Might take some online research for this, but maybe even a school that has never ever played a game at either SMU or TCU, too? My choice: Ohio State...this high profile game at Apogee would have media from all over the Deep South, Southwest and Big 10 coming to Denton, Texas, America. Recruiting Ammo' For UNT Coaches, Too? "Oh by the way, we have future OOC home games at Apogee Stadium with........ "Insert Big Time U School's Name", SMU, Army, (hopefully Navy again) etc, etc, etc, .... ......and, (insert Texas HS blue-chipper's name), most all our C-USA West Division schools you and you parents I'm sure already know about and most times your folks can even come see you play wearing the Mean Green at their stadiums since they would be well within driving distance." GMG!

Harry quote: "The reality is that is the past and we should look forward instead of back." (Something we all need to work on and beginning at this keyboard). GMG!

Spent a little extra at UPS to have them over-nighted to ya', Phil! (BTW, have yall moved yet)? GMG! PS: And I dreamed just last night that we, ie, North Texas... ...were hosting the Tennessee Volunteers at Apogee Stadium for heaven's sake! Addendum: In this dream North Texas beat the Vols so similarly to how we did in 1975 but this time on a kick-off returned for a last minute touchdown by a 5' 6" 190 pound Mean Greener named..............Roebuck Forest! (old timers will figure that one out and some of the rest of you may even have to admit that my "dads jokes" are getting a tad better....maybe)?

Mostly agree... I've communicated with a couple on this board who know college talent when they see it who say Brock Bergland has the intangible "it" working for him. It does remain for him to keep "it" working on a consistent basis but he brings a dimension to our offense we've not seen in awhile. We are over-due a HS players with great HS credentials and multi-recruiting services stars to bring them all to Denton, Texas, and to bring them to full fruition at a college level....we are way over-due matter of fact. Best case scenario is if our #7 Derek Thompson in his senior year puts together a "career year" for himself and the team. Haven't we all seen in past decades what would be an average or just above average QB his first 3 or so years simply turn it up a knotch and put it all together his final year? DT is not chopped liver by any means and with the right offensive game plan that utilizes his passing strengths, his offensive line of which 2 of those made Phil Steele's CUSA all conference teams, his running backs by committee and what many think could be a more than adequate receiving corps; anyway, all this could be something special for all concerned this Fall. I like the fact that we will have 3 QBs coming to Fall camp in a few weeks because that will never be considered a negative. GMG!

Read Phil Steele's magazine credits, it's not just him praising UNT or any other school. Steele has what seems the most comprehensive research staff of writers of any college football magazine. Seems other magazines just throw the rest of us Go5 schools in a big fish bowl and mostly use the previous season's W/L records along with those who helped produce those records (who have since graduated) as their basis to rank our schools for this Fall. Some CUSA schools are going to only win the summer sexy beauty contests from some C-USA coaches and other college football magazines just out on the news stands. For some of that group it will be a damn shame that they actually have to play the games this Fall with what could be results that hardly fit the summer predictions for their teams. Again, UNT had 7 on Steele's C-USA all conference teams, ie, more than any single C-USA school. Include all that with: (1) approx. 10 NCAA FBS transfers now elgible, (2) the rest of our starters, (3) a few key RS frosh coming forward and... (4) maybe 2 or 3 true freshmen stepping up this Fall and then... ....we have the makings of a most interesting football season in MG Country, fellow alums and MG fans. In fact, a season that I believe will get Coach Mac's tenure at North Texas officially jump-started. And to our 2 or 3 non-UNT affiliated critics who have nothing else but to be our official GMG.com squatters; that is, those who seem to live and die on 3 star recruits reporting, (especially when they think it puts our school in a bad light..........anyhow........... just what about UNT's, Coach Mac & staff's successful & burgeoning HS Junior and Senior Days at Apogee Stadium along with their NCAA FBS level transfers pipeline that (quite frankly) have as much (or even more) promise as a 3 star recruit? I also have to wonder how many of our numerous NCAA FBS transfers we regularly seem to get at UNT were at least 3 star recruits at one time, too? GMG!

So Mr. Know All Things About North Texas And What It Is Which Makes You So Damn Compulsive Obsessive About The Very Subject of UNT..............This...... ........why don't you just start a grass roots effort by first writing your local state senator or representative and tell him you start your petition today with the goal and objective which will be to start the dismantling of the University of North Texas building by building since in your eyes it's been a waste of you and your kind's tax monies ever since its beginning in 1890. Will that then make you get the hell off the subject and..............this board for crissakes'? With the exception of a mothers-to-be life, I never believed in any form of the ripping of a living, breathing (& in the process of a human being formed) out of a woman's womb because someone at conception basically had no control of their sex life (in too many cases) and what their eventual responsibilities would be after a birth took place, ie, the very popular "NOW" political subject of abortion until you came to this message board but I think I know now what the exception would have been on that subject....along with scores of politicians in this country who just cannot stand the very idea of what our Founding Fathers did which turned out to become so damn successful without their ingenious input; so therefore, their doing their damn'dest to break that which is not broken and that which millions are trying daily to bust through our borders to be part of the greatest country the world has ever seen. Well, it seems the Founding Fathers must have done something right so WHY THE HELL MUCK IT UP? I know, this is all much too strong, will make some tense so boot it off this as a "no politics" that is, unless it fits your agenda or narrative. What they guy above who inspired this response is most always political with what he is saying about UNT so what's the difference here? Yes, I hold on to my guns and religion....how about you because we might need them sooner than later. And for what its worth....it sure seems to be common knowledge that our very own Founding Fathers kept their guns close at hand, too, because even they thought they might need to use them just in case someone tried to dramatically change the course of what they so ingeniously put together. Recently, a few battles have been won by what seems a very low information crowd, but I know who I will still put my money on and who will eventually win the war because..... .........We The People always do since we still have the numbers which will make that possible; and those numbers include every race, creed and religion in this country. No one race has a monopoly on this great republic we have to daily defend. I still wonder when some in D.C. will be able to figure out that and what is basically simple arithmetic? , Have A Nice Day!

This! The 2013 Mean Green football team and all of their fan's new battle-cry is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMz_RQuTBlI

And my always reliable sources told me that that one game before 500 fans in the SuperDome was the thing that clinched a Big East/AAC membership for both schools. Of course that and what they were also doing post-Custer's last stand era of the NCAA, too. Wonder just which schools actually do impress this Green Wave receiver? GMG! PS: I think whoever we have as our starting QB for the Tulane game will be leading the way to light up the SuperDome scoreboard. With a good offensive line (2 of whom that made Phil Steele's All CUSA conference teams), a good running back crew and receivers some think will step forward (especially the UT-Austin transfer) I think those 3 things will be the reasons why. Yes, it's hard to think forward when it seems most all we do is think backwards because of where we've been, but I think beginning this Fall we will be re-introduced to an old statistical friend of Mean Green football; that is, when the " Mr. W's" outnumbers the "Mr. L's" and won't that be so nice? GMG ! !

'think It really reminds me of 2001, too, Harry, when we really didn't know if we had ship or shinola for a team. All the SBC media had totally fallen in love with the MUTS who had no NCAA FBS level history whatsoever. Seems by the 'Belts 3'rd year that same media decided they better fall in love with another school besides the one north of Nashville. Fact is, Darrell Dickey & staff (most admirably) in about their 3'rd year at UNT recruited about 10 Texas state Top 100 recruits which created a good foundation for our early SBC success. His main problem became that he and staff (for whatever reasons) quality of recruiting fell off immensely yet they tried to live off that one great recruiting class to no avail. Had DD & Staff recruited another similar class for 2 more recruiting seasons he probably would have had a Top 25 ranked bowl team in 1 or 2 of his NO's Bowl teams; he would have gotten his interview at a Power 5 school and then he would have probably gotten a job at one of them. Enter Todd Dodge and then this football program basically bottomed out and worse, it bottomed out in the Sun Belt Conference. So folks, this is what Coach Dan McCarney inherited when he got our job along with a new football palace many from coast to coast are admiring along with its LEEDS Platinum classification. By now, though, we know it takes more than a village I mean it takes more than a spankin' new (preferably filled) stadium now-a-days, too. Heck, many of our Texas HS products have played in smaller and a bit less fancier versions of Apogee and many of them even had indoor football facilities for our hotter than hell Texas August & Septembers. (Yes, an indoor facility really needs to be toward the top of our "what do we build next" in the Mean Green Village and I'd bet few of you would disagree). I think if Coach Mac only won 3 or 4 games this Fall it would present problems for him, but I don't this team (barring a horrendous number of injuries) will win so few games as that. I still say 7 wins with 6 wins being the minimum. I am looking forward to this inaugural CUSA football season and am booking DJ events on non Game Day Saturdays for this historic year for Mean Green football. IMO, more should be a bit more extra excited about this special upcoming Fall than what some of these threads are indicating; after all, it is also our 100'th year of playing football at North Texas---but give it a chance to be a successful one before it even starts? Hey! We have all had our Negative-Ned moments especially if you've followed this football program for any extended amount of time ie, years, decades and close to or over a half century for some, but now is the time for all of us to put up a stiff upper lip to support the only college team in Texas that we give a damn about and show solidarity of support instead of our going in 50 different directions with 50 different "this is what we really should do" agendas. GMG!

Agree with GrayEagle and especially the part that I've highlighted in red. We don't get Top 75 recruiting classes at UNT and rarely have. Even if we did recruiting services would most likely never report it since they are so hung up on coverage of the Power 5 conferences. UNT's ace in the hole is to keep the NCAA FBS transfers network open but IMHO...to really bear down on JUCO recruiting from now on espeically in the defensive line area. I know this thread will inspire potential recruits for sure. I really believe some on this board would have recommended the firing of Fry after his 2'nd season at UNT when his team won 2 games. Southern MIss fired a HFC after an obvious terrible hire followed by his 1 no win season. Some know how and when to pull the trigger...some do not. Who is to say whatever HFC USM would have had at the helm last year would have done any better? Sometimes...a program just bottoms out--plain and simple. The key is to not stay bottomed out. 2-a-days are almost here.....all that needs to be done at this juncture has been done so give it a chance and save the gloom/doom. Kansas State went almost 50 years of much far worse than what we've ever had at UNT. TCU even had a F.A. "Dry" run (along with a cast of other characters who would be HFC's) for about 2 plus decades when they were the door mat of the Southwest Conference. Seems that TCU program back in the day has been the model for a few other schools of late. SMU? One more time now...they entered their first CUSA season with almost a 20 football seasons losing streak.. Sure we want to win and we deserve to win, but lets not panic now until we hit a real ice berg and I think we'd all know it when that would happen. In Coach Mac's 3'rd season coming up with the disaster that he inherited with so few players on scholarship, now is not the time to panic. UNT is just not going to be one of those programs that Lady Luck smiles on in most any coach we hire first year or 2 up there--it's just not in the cards for that to happen with our school. In fact, that hasn't happened since I was a student which by the day is turning into a very long time ago. GMG!

OR...?

Of course, this could be bronzed,too. And if booze is a problem put a Dublin,Texas made Dr. Pepper bottle with the Imperial sugar logo on its belly. What more Texan than this? GMG!

Yada, yada, yada....seems even the CUSA coaches are ranking schools based on most of these team's successes and records from last year. Do they ever look at the attrition that takes place from one season to the next....as in............senior graduations along with other variables, too? If we can depend on these pre-season prognostications (and it seems most times that they are made mostly for message board posters from all schools to argue about); anyhow, if we can depend on them.......... North Texas did quite well earlier this summer when we had 7 of our Mean Green players in Phil Steele's magazine pre-season CUSA all conference teams. For what it's worth............don't you really have something to build onto with 7 projected CUSA all conference players on your football team? As far as the CUSA coaches polls go, I also think we could ass'ume that most of that group didn't do 1/10'th the research that Phil Steele's staff does every year. Yet it really seems that it is still (uh, play on words?) Phil Steele's College Football magazine who actually ranks most any upcoming Fall football teams ignoring a a schools actual W/L record and their school's respective seniors from the year before because......WALA! Those seniors are long gone! Anyone else having flashbacks to UNT's first few years in the new SBC when we got ignored almost "EVERY" summer while that sexy school over in TN.seemed to always win those summer time best team awards before a football was even teed up? Anyone recall which school went to that new conferences first 4 bowl games? C-USA coaches, AD's, staffers, janitors, tax-payers, etc, know the extremely difficult to ignore upside we have at the University of North Texas with arguably our school having the conferences best overall varsity venues along with its prime time Mean Green Village location between those 2 Texas interstates and just maybe even they all know deep down that.... their time to kick UNT around is running out. I really do think we will be kicking some of these school's butts they've put ahead of us this Fall--mark it. And God help them all if Coach Dan McCarney actually re-catches our mean green lightnin' in a bottle by emulating the guy whose very photo adorns his office wall looking out over fabulous Apogee Stadium; you know--the one he worked for at the University of Iowa? GMG!

Yeah, Paschall owned up to his mistake alright but only "AFTER" he got caught. Do you ever read the FW Star-Telegram, dude? When TCU gets back into one of their famous "SWC-esque" 2 or 3 decade slumps as a member of the Big 12 and that because of what caused those to happen back in the old Southwest Conference, ie, week in and week out competition against huge, enormous public universities with much bigger and better facilities than TCU's....then you get back to us with your additional insecurities which you so try to hide and those very same insecurities which keeps bringing you back to GMG.com, Wampus-Frog. Why hasn't someone stepped on you or thrown you against a tree, like the frog in that movie O Brother Where Art Thou? Rivitt! Rivitt!

When North Texas first entered the Sun Belt in 2001, I did know of the Tennessee Volunteers (obviously) but for the life of me...I really never know there was a Middle Tennessee, but the whole idea of a middle Tennessee conjured up thoughts of Music City--USA, Hee Haw along with Nashville's Grand Ol' Opry. ("What's for supper, Grandpa")? MUTS: You sexy thing ! ! ! Wasn't it just 2 years ago that we completely dismantled them at Apogee Stadium to the tune of 59 to 7? So.............how in the world did they become the new CUSA's darlings so quickly? Is their publicity department that good? (If so, it didn't get them in a bowl last Fall). Seems their publicity department was even just as good back in 2001, ie, the SBC's first year as I recall. In fact, just how did they become the SBC's first official sexy darlings during that leagues first 4 years of operation when it was (still) the U of North Texas Mean Green who represented the SBC in the New Orleans Bowl--and 4 years in a row to boot? Another new CUSA school with a roller coaster ride of W/L seasons the last 20 to 25 years (like the MUTS) also has one helluva' publicity department and were IMO able to smoke and mirror their way into CUSA (even over a ULaLa) and to get so damn much push or mileage and all that based on.......... "2" winning seasons in a row? Go figure......... http://mcubed.net/ncaaf/teams/latech.shtml I might ordinarily suggest that our school go after some of these school's publicists or smoke & mirror wings of their athletic departments but I think we'd all prefer that when we start winning again that Mean Green football will never need such façades or to become urban legends unto themselves and as far as the 2 aforementioned CUSA newbie schools are concerned to damn well make sure others know about those "wish it were actually true" legends. Listen To Me Now: This is not what CUSA newbie or oldie schools want from North Texas (and can you blame them)? That is, the return of the North Texas Mean Green football program that produced top NFL draft choices; that integrated (in the mid 1950's) the entire Southwest and Deep South with 2 great black gentlemen and darn good athletes, too; as well as the UNT that played (even beat) some schools back in the 50's, 60's and 70's that some of our new CUSA conference mates have only recently been able to even get on their football schedules. Of course, back-tracking in time.....how could they have been on such school's schedules since some of the CUSA newbies didn't even exist back in the NCAA's first 3 decades of its so-called modern era and/or were not operating as a football program at the NCAA Division 1 (FBS) level. And today some of these newbies only needing a minimum stadium capacity to slip in to the NCAA FBS level while NCAA powers that be seemedly paying no attention to the most important criteria--attendance over a 2 or 3 year period. In Closing: A perennially winning North Texas football program just does not fit the narratives of most all present CUSA schools. Narratives? Just read many of their posts or comments and especially on the CUSA-bbs board for proof of that; that is, many of their comments of a subtle and then the not so subtle variety of put downs aimed at our school which many of those (humorously) remind me of a... .....very nervous guy who one particular midnight finds himself walking & whistling his way thru a cemetery with his hoping (of all hope) that he does not awaken something that could become ominously scary for himself and pretty damn fast. Whistling time for CUSA members as far as North Texas is concerned will have a short timeline beginning (IMHO) this Fall. Sexy or not....put that in 3 inch headlines.

Saw UNT and Denton's Joan "Rosebud" Blondell in what was one of her last roles before leukemia took her from us, ie, "Grease" with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Ms. Blondell played the waitress in the malt shop, of course. She was actually born in New York City, but she and family got smart and moved to Texas (like the rest of most all our ancestors did at some point). Good Lordy', in the video look at all the major male stars of old Hollywood our fellow UNT alum starred with. Did that lady ever have some beautiful eyes or what? She also had a bod' on her that she was never too shy to show to the camera lense. I remember as a kid watching her on TV in the 50's and 60's when they had all but made a comedienne of her but she was good at that, too. IN fact, she was good at anything that she wanted to be good at I suppose. A Blondell'ism......."There's a very fine line between underacting and not acting at all. And not acting is what a lot of actors are guilty of. It amazes me how some of these little numbers with dreamy looks and a dead pan are getting away wit it. I'd hate to see them on stage with a dog act." - Joan Blondell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNG7-2Ausis

Happy Birthday to all! GMG!

.......Including a couple of Norm Hitzghes-esque "Dad" would be... jokes: Back in the old days CUSA would have probably already become (by common sense) 2 separate regional conferences with the way all this is shaking out. Both could fight over this name: Conference-Half of USA? Has UNT ever been happy and content being in a conference that had members with former president's names for their school's names? James Madison (CUSA?): 4'th president of the USA Sam Houston State (Southland Conference)......former president of the Republic of Texas http://www.lsjunction.com/facts/presdnts.htm Home page of above website: http://www.lsjunction.com/ Will there ever be a Jim Bowie State? Perhaps one of this school's cheerleader yells would be: Cut em' up! Cut em' up!?!?! OK, time for the meds... GMG! Did You Know ? That the University of North Texas is the home of the Texas State Historical Association? http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/about-handbook

Well, r-p, I've always said brevity is the soul of someone who just doesn't have too much to say. When I arrived on campus as a UNT student in January, 1972, the Union we have now remodeling project had begun as I recall. I do hope on one of the larger walls at our upcoming Super Union will be a photo collage of all our famous UNT alums and musicians. That would still be for many quite an attention-grabber.