PlummMeanGreen

PF, Coach Patterson actually did say "wasn't that long ago we were having 10,000 fans around here" in a feature sports article in the FW Star Telegram. I think it was Jennifer Briggs (whatever her last name is now) column and probably 4-6 weeks ago. If I can find it in FWST archives I will post it but...Coach Patterson did say it in that article because I couldn't believe he would want to say that at all. (Of course, he could have been exagerating that low number, too, is the other side of the coin). ON ANOTHER FRONT: Not fully sure why some TCU'ers are throwing UNT under the bus on the MWC board other than for the fact that many of us would understand why TCU would "NOT" want UNT to take their place in their soon-to-be former conference. Sorta' funny how our having a new stadium on the horizon has changed a few attitudes toward North Texas from Cowtown as would be very easy to predict would happen since Fouts was hardly a program threat of a stadium for any other Texas collegiate competitor of ours, but now that that old program killer of a stadium is no longer our home, we seem to have developed some new critics from an outpost that previously was not a critic at all. I also think astute college sports fans in the DFW Metroplex would certainly be able to understand all the reasons why TCU could suddenly have these "negative" attitudes now toward North Texas with our new stadium's debut happening this September; that is, except 1 or 2 on this very board who for whatever reason have mostly negative takes on anything North Texas wants to do to elevate itself; that is, 1 or 2 who don't even accept our enormous, burgeoning constituency numbers as a reason to say we actually have pull or a presence in the Metroplex. Last I checked, good TV ratings come from large constituencies who may not always show for the game but do get counted as viewers from the Nielsen TV ratings group. Our new stadium will convert some of those longtime TV viewers (only) to actual "butts in seats" fans at our Mean Green Stadium. Mark it... GMG!

Point is...I wish we would hold out for the Big 12 and tell CUSA or the MWC to go do something to themselves. (just kiddin', of course). Cliff Notes? What is this new publication called Cliff Notes? Does it elongate things like me when brevity would be, well, uh, boring? (Yes, I've read a few Cliff Notes back in the day to help me focus in for an exam or 2). GMG! PS: I'm for getting in any conference whose better teams have no problem getting inside the Top 25. I think the Sun Belt is years from gaining that kind of respect from those it needs to gain that kind of respect from as in.........those who vote? GMG!!

Truer words have not been spoken. And some of our fans/alums need to equally leave the past behind and set sights higher, too, if they haven't already. If we let TSU (SM) & UTSA intimidate us, then we just wasted $80 million on a new football palace at the Mean Green Village. GMG!

What an argument we have with the NCAA now: "Well, it would be nice if both QB's who help us debut our new football stadium were 6'th year players and if not--why not?" OK, NCAA, esplain your decision if you don't give Tune a 6'th year and possible post season honors (for Keenum) should not sway any decision on this one way or the other." GMG!

Would be interesting to know the real school backgrounds of those poo-poo'n UNT. Thankfully, we have a Prez' at UNT who has swam with the NCAA sharks and consultant Chuck Neinas who I would bet will be called upon when needed to help our case. Anyone else don't think the MWC would prefer an 8 million populated North Texas Metroplex in their league compared to 2 schools whose populations together don't touch our school's home base and 2 new WAC schools that might find it difficult to handle a lawsuit expense of trying to get out of the WAC? Cooler heads I predict will prevail with all of this and those heads won't be consulting the MWC smack boards, either. GMG! PS: One of the most ironic aspects of all this is how SMU is (apparently) going to have to make a choice of which either choice could catapult our athletic program to the league they do not choose. Can justice possibly be any sweeter and to have it served to them in such a way that they have no control whatsoever? GMG! PS: Who is pushing these 2 other Texas schools with no semblance of NCAA FBS suceess or any past legacies such as an Abner Haynes Sun Bowl era in Mean Green Country, a Mean Joe Green Era that all but beat Frank Broyles NCAA National Championship contender in 1968 or even a Hayden Fry Era with Hayden Fry type successes on an national scale? I would still be interested to know just who it is on a MWC smack board who are suddenly enamored with TSU (SM) who never drew good football crowds in winning years and a would-be football school who has yet to tee it up at all, namely UTSA? Anyone else think all this a tad strange? And why the hell aren't they touting Midwestern State out of Wichta Falls, Texas, while they stumble all over their apparent sports stupidity of Texas college football? And now TCU'ers suddenly having a little Mean Green problem on the MWC board? Come on, Frogs, what goes up will come down and the UT Longhorns should humble yall maybe just a bit on that subject? Give the TCU of old about 4 or 5 .500 or less W/L football seasons and then lets see just how sweet the Big East becomes for them and how long those "snow-filled" trips East will suddenly become. TRUE STORY: One TCU'er told me that what was happening between those 2 Texas Interstates at UNT's Mean Green Village was one of the reasons they very (seemedly) & quickly drew up their stadium "do-up" plans and he was as serious as a heart attack when he said it. I doubted him and told him "no way" on any of that and he said it truly was a reason of several--(they would never say it was their top reason no matter what, of course). Then he asked me didn't I think the timing of TCU doing all this sorta' aligned with our turning of the dirt for our new stadium when that took place? I told him "you don't have to say anything else to convince me on that now." NOTE: BTW, the TCU guy I mention had taken some hours at UNT so he knew our situation well, but he worked for a TCU firm and.......he also booked me for one of his employees wedding receptions. GMG ! !

Whatever league we move to or stay in has to give our best Mean Green teams what Boise started (earning) and getting and that was annual Top 25 rankings. Back before there were 10 jillion bowls, Fry left North Texas because his best teams did not get bowl invites and that even in a year when one of his Mean Green football teams beat a 6 & 5 Tennessee Vols football team. Well, I think our ability (or lack thereof) to get future (very) good Mean Green football teams with a great consortium of Texas high school produced recruits into Top 25 polls will be the next problem we could have if we are not in a league whose best teams get Top 25 recognition. Albeit the Sun Belt has yet to put 1 team in a Top 25 poll in our 10 years of existence some of you keep telling me we are on the brink of that happening with a good Belt' team. Well...I do not see that happening because of the national media's attitude toward the SBC as a football league and what I think is a region of sportwriters (doing the Top 25 voting) who are more enamored with the SEC and the Big 12 and only give the SBC a Norm Hitzghes type "giggle" when someone mentions our top SBC football team of any given year. I hope this changes for the SBC and I'm sure it will one day, but I don't think it will be for quite a while. Wright Waters stated recently that he thought the Sun Belt's Univ. of S. Alabama is the next Boise type program which I took as an almost back-handed slap at North Texas' ambitions and I'm sure his obvious knowledge that not all in MG Country are so excited about our being in his league, but I would be surprised to seen any Boise type program spring from the SBC because of all our football team's recent (10 years?) rare successes in beating a Top 25 football team and while not wanting to burst Wright Water's bubble, strangely enough I don't see South Alabama as the program who will be the trailblazer in doing that, either. I hope either CUSA or the MWC happens for North Texas, because I think if it doesn't we will will continue in our walk in the wilderness; although in a much nicer place to do it in because of whats being built between those 2 Texas interstate systems in what is easily the most visible & strategic location for a Texas inter-collegiate football stadium this side of University of Texas-Austin. In my humble opinion, The University of North Texas still brings the best overall & longterm upside of most schools I've seen mentioned because of our contiued expected growth and our being at the top of the triangular shaped and 8 million citizens populated North Texas Metroplex. We would hardly come into any new conference hat in hand and that's for damn sure.

Long post? Perserverity of wordage is a sign that you just have a lot on your mind to talk about. Personally, I can say in 1,000 words what some can say in 10 but I get far more keyboard practice with the 1,000. Seriously, the upside of the MWC versus CUSA as a league which IMHO will have more Top 25 ranked schools over the long haul. And you are right, no one in CUSA ever talks about one day their league being an AQ conference but rather 1 or 2 of its schools may hint about moving to one already established. The MWC would be almost too good to be true and is one reason I try to reserve my excitement of its possibilities. The University of North Texas massive-acres olympic style village'esque Mean Green Village with the new football stadium as its soon-to-be shining buckle could not have happened at a better time in our history and that no matter how long ago I thought this should have actually been done which would have prevented what we've had to go through the last 3 decades with our consntat roller-coaster ride. Finally, though, we have leadership at the top who "get it" at North Texas. GMG!

I like the North Texas except for the fact that when most TV angles show it on telecast of our games it looks like 2 blurred lines. Up close it looks good but you really have to be...up close. The smaller SOW symbol shown elsewere on this thread is more noticeable just like the UT Longhorn symbol makes it indisputable as to what and who it represents. And (gulp) the SMU pony symbol on their helmet does the same for their school. Main question is how long do we keep SOW until our next wave of new leadership ditch it and start over for the umpteenth time in Denton with new logos, eagles, shades of green, etc? GMG! PS The SOW that covers the entire helmet looks too Philly'esque IMHO.

Let's let that same group of MWC smack board posters you are talking about take an aerial photograph observation at UNT's entire sports complex versus the other 2 Texas schools and see if they still feel the same. I think most would easily predict they would not feel the same. Don't we know by now how fickle conference smack board posters can be? GMG! PS: I mean can't we of UNT now say we have better major varsity sports venues than SMU starting with our new football palace (upon completion) and the fabulous 10,000+ seat Super Pit?

Having lived in or near Fort Worth most my adult life while knowing numerous TCU alums during this time I'm very aware of what TCU has spent and what they have done to promote their product in Cowtown. Have observed it quite closely in fact thinking if TCU can git'er done why not North Texas? What a waste of mental energy that was during those years. No, we don't have TCU's money and yes, they have spent very much money, yet Boise State did not spend near as much and have had as much success as TCU I feel most would agree. (Who beat TCU just last year in a bowl)? I think UNT can do what Boise has done in due time once we flush our multi-decade's long stinkin' thinkin' and poor athletic dept. hirings (with its subsequent & "expected" poor leadership) of the last 30 years (+/-) in Denton and flush it down the toilet where it belongs. Our expecations at UNT were set low a long time ago and it will take more than a new stadium to change many attitudes, but that new stadium will be a great place for that to start happening. The part I will be interested to observe since what goes up usually comes down is how sweet the Big East will be for TCU if they run a chain of .500 or less W/L records together. In a recent FW Star Telegram sports feature TCU Coach Patterson freely admitted that it "wasn't so long ago when we were drawing 10,000 at ACS on Game Day." (I guess the SMU att. counter was padding some of their numbers, too, since Patterson in deed said....10,000) but......money will do much for a program yet losing a whole bunch (like we have done) will undo its positive effects in a short amount of time.

And what great timing for UNT head baskeball Coach Johnny Jones to be building our MG baskeball program to new heights. Timing is everything? Gotta' catch up our football prospects with JJ's program now. GMG!

If we do like we've done most of the last 35 years you will be correct. I do think what conference we're in will be even more important now. At some point, we may want to all start acting like a new "impressive" stadium built by those who built the Cowboys "JerryWorld", a new coach with FBS head football coach experience, non-stop growth on campus, our DFW alums burgeoning numbers, City of Denton and Denton County population explosions may actually give us a golden opportunity to not be the UNT of those last 35 years which featured a (non funny) comedy of revolving door hires, low goals and not 1 Top 25 football team at the upper level of the NCAA. GMG!

Why TCU ditching the other CUSA Texas teams worked for them as a MWC school I will never know--but it did. I do know the MWC and some good Mean Green football teams means Top 25 rankings while good Mean Green teams in the 'Belt may just garner some votes for Top 25. 10 years in the SBC with not 1 of our teams in the Top 25 should be a pretty big eye-opener for those wanting to go another 10 in the Sun Belt (and who knows, that still may be our conference in 10 years). Yet it seems UNT may soon have a "win-win" whether UH/SMU stays or leaves. Win-win? What a most rare conference alignment scenario for us to have in Denton. Wonder how La Tech fares in all this? Have they started passing out the syanide capsuls yet?

UTSA is in a great destination city and with a stadium that 2 AQ teams annually have no problems accepting bowl invites to the Alamo City. UH & SMU would merely be re-arranging their respective deck chairs to go with the MWC, but North Texas would be getting a ticket on a nice, new luxury cruise ship if we got in. We would not come into the MWC hat in hand, either--we have an upside to offer this league that I'd bet their top officials already recognize. GMG!

All is never as bad as it sometimes seems...thanks for this positive update, Charles. GMG!

It was a great run for our National Champion Cheerleader squad and that in the Big Time Division they competed. What proud moments for all NT alums and fans who watched them on national TV from Tampa, Florida. And now one of the national cable stations has a series called "Hellcats" which features the life and times of a cheer squad each week (or night for the repeat shows). To say the least, cheerleading has come a long way from the old megaphone days and racoon coats with "too large of letters" on them. Way To Go UNT Cheerleaders! GMG!

Is this girls post a code for cyber sex or something? Jeez, Harry, I'm going to tell your nearest family member what your board is becoming.

And the group I put in bold is more like it as far as those we need to be in the hunt for these kids. GMG!

My one remaining family member (sister) sent this w/o a source or the usual "send this to 10 friends" part. Gol' darn those siblings with middle child syndrome!

*** Adult Truths *** 1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. 2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. 3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger. 4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. 5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? 6. Was learning cursive really necessary? 7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. 8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. 9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. 10. Bad decisions make good stories. 11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. 12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again. 13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. 14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. 15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well. 16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Coors Light than Kay. 17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Gang Neighborhood" routing option. 18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. 19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said? 20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters! 21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. 22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. 23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time. 24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. Heal the past, live the present, dream the future. Enjoy life!!!

And I think many of us would have loved "the Little Sisters of the Poor's" chances in the national championship game, too. I fear greed will eventually mess up the entire NCAA football structure. What the Big Boys seem to be saying to all is that there is no more room at the inn for anyone except themselves; even for FBS schools like North Texas who could build up their football programs to at least what many of their respective AQ conference's lower half schools have already. How many of those lower half schools in all the AQ conferences would love to have what Boise and TCU have and might just never will? GMG!

Any post-secondary institution of higher learning in Texas hurting for students has some real problems in their admissions department. TCU cannot add too many more students than what they have already--same with SMU. UNT has more green space, ie, real estate for more growth and will need it no matter how good or bad our sports teams perform because most our growth the last quarter century have taken place during some pretty poor times athletically. (Sorry I cannot sugar coat that any better than that).

Edward G. "freakin" Robinson, DG? He died in the movie I thought? I know he died in real life soon after that movie. Jeez, how the hell old are we anyhow, Phil? Oh, you're talking about someone not in that movie. Time for the meds! Goodnight all! GMG!

I think some have interventioned him alright with a kick in the lower back part of his torso.

Pop Noah?