PlummMeanGreen

Agree Phil.................and with maybe even an invitation to this game coupled with a special recognition for all those who have recently served in our present war in Iraq?

A FEW GENE STALLINGS MEMORIES FROM HIS CONSULTANT DAYS AT UNT Other than ex Alabama coach and (then) UNT athletic department consultant Gene Stallings (along with ex NT President Norval Pohl) telling and showing us all by their well planned power-point presentation how ridiuculously ineffective the Mean Green Club had been (recently) in fundraising for Mean Green athletics and.......................FWIW, those who have given large amounts recently under Rick V's watch were on UNT alumnus potential fundraising lists even back then during those low-producing MG Club fundraising years Stallings and Pohl were making that full room of MG fans blush a bit of CRIMSON RED, well, anyway................. ...................I suppose the other thing that Coach Stallings wanted to make clear to us all that evening is how UNT would never be another Alabama as far as major college football was concerned. Well....................I don't think he had to do too much convincing with that statement, either, although many out there adhere to the theory that you may never ever want to say, well, uh..............NEVER; anyway, Coach Stallings (of whom most of us admire) was most likely right-on with that assessment, too, although he could have inserted the names of about 75 other NCAA D1-A football-playing schools in place of UNT with that statement. Ex UTA prez Witt would probably even tell present UTA prez Spagnola that he should probably change his mind by pushing for (at least) some form or level of college football at the Arlington campus, too; but for those schools that drop football (including Lamar U), the main bug-a-boo of start-up cost to reinstate football seems to most always be the thing preventing such. There was a time according to some of you who were around and close to the scene post-Rod Rust firing that we may have joined other schools who dropped football and even during a time after that one year Bob Tyler mess at UNT (some of you will remember that very hastily called meeting by Bill Vogel to meet with UNT officals); but we hung in there (although 12 years at the NCAA 1-AA level IMHO is a prime reason we probably lost a geneation of Mean Green fans. Moral of this thread: Probably never a good idea for a major univesity in Texas to ever drop its football program (and I'm glad we didn't in Denton). THINK BIG---BUILD BIGGER!

Coach Archie probably doesn't have the time to read most or any of my posts, eeally! Hellsbells, I rarely read them myself! I have increased my keyboarding WPM since I've been posting them to look at the upside of some of those epistles. As this is post #8,755, I guess I should be keystroking at 100 WPM, right? BUT....................I can remember (as a young alum) when too many times I rarely paid attention to what some old geezers had to say, too, although I would have been the wiser to have done so especially as they outlined some of our past history that we've (unfortunately) repeated way too much. But lets wipe the slate clean because it appears Coach Archie has and after all, it's a.................. A WHOLE NEW DODGE BALL GAME @ NORTH TEXAS! Yet............a very impressive post from an NT Ex I feel we would all agree. Welcome to this most diverse board of opinion, Coach Archie.

Deep, I think that response was mean't for you. That's OK, Varsity, I have a heckuva' bunch on my mind today, too. Sky-watching for those twirling clouds being toward the top of that list. But PA Jeff had white helmets, though? If our guys get in the Top 25 (which I really believe will be sooner than later especially after we debut a new stadium), they can wear those old leather helmets Red "The Galloping Ghost" Granger made famous! I know, easy for me to say.

As long as MG football is headed toward a Top 25 rankings quality of a program which means we would have had some impressive wins and (most likely) beaten some Top 25'ers along the way, our school's football team can wear generic "Penn State" style helmets with only a stripe down the middle of it as far as I'm concerned. Looks are important, but probably moreso for schools that are still trying to find their identity (and 8 name changes since 1890 has hardly helped our cause in Denton); yet Penn State for most of my lifetime seems to have never been criticized for their helmets very plain generic look, but they did get much attention for what Joe Paterno was producing with the football teams who wore those helmets for most of his tenureship as Penn State's head football coach.

Just heard on one of the early morning TV shows that Sheryl Crow (one of UNT alum Don Henley's ex backup singers and personal friend) is "anti" the highly rated and successful TV show American Idol because: "It promotes the commercialization of music." So, uh, Ms. Sheryl, just what kind of music has made you a multi-millionaire? Sheryl "Ms. Commercial Music" Crow putting down the commercialization of music would be like Abe Lincoln out on the trail campaigning against stove pipe hats. Honest Abe wore the hat and........................ Ms. Crow sings some of the most highly commercialized-sounding and syrppy music on the radio airwaves. Jeez, Sheryl, just keep your celebrity mouth shut and enjoy your huge slice of the American Pie. TRUTH BE KNOWN? I'd bet there are scores and scores (pardon the pun) of Voice Majors over at our internationally famous and most highly respected UNT College of Music who could sing circles around Sheryl Crow. So I guess it goes back to the old addage: "It's not what you know, but who you know (and whose arse that you know you'll have to kiss in the entertainment world to get your big break)?

Good points, BA... And FWIW, all this happening now are just "get ready for even more change$" for when we debut a new 40,000 seat stadium over at the Mean Green Village. All this is just warming everyone up for that big move across Interstate I35E if you think about it. So do hang onto your hats and get a pay raise or a moonlighting job for what will be happening when we move into that new football palace over at the Mean Green Village. It will be a new and most welcome era for Mean Green football; in many ways, it will be our national statement to all that we are truly interested in being a legitimate, bonafide BCS player in NCAA D1-A. It will also open up so many new recruiting avenues for a bright, positive-thinking head football coach in Mean Green Country. And..............FWIW, you can't have one (the new stadium) without having the other (the Norman Vincent Peal'esque head football coach).

Of late, just merely wearing UNT gear/baseball caps, etc, etc, etc, (which many of us do on a regular basis) has produced numerous (and from total strangers)............ "Hey, yall have a good football coach with that Todd Dodge feller--he's going to be real good for your school's football program."

Amen, UNT_playmaker... Fouts has been a major roadblock for way too many decades (and at least 2 or 3 conference upgrades from where we have been in the past) which I will always think Fouts Field played a major part in our not being a "true" serious consideration. This DRC article would have been a much better read had it said: "And the Under Armour film crew was at the booming, ever-expanding UNT campus and (specifically) inside the Mean Green Village along with its newly opened 40,000 (expandable to 80,000) state-of-the-art football palace which has the latest modern ammenities and features that even most of the BCS Big Boys, ie, Top 10 schools would envy (albeit at a smaller scale than their own ancient "patchwork quilt" expanded from their original capacities stadiums)."

Another good GoMeanGreen.com project for us all to do our part. We didn't do to bad with the last project similar to this, now did we? Just click greenminer's aforementioned "here ya go" post and vote all of your green-tinted conscience. LETS DO IT AGAIN, MEAN GREEN NATION!

You got it, Emmitt...prayers to each and every one of you that this tragedy has affected.

Yet the Islamic terrorist have already been here and are still among us all...............and some of them are your/our good "keeping to themselves" neighbors; just like the very "keeping to themselves" would-be American neighbors who flew planes into the WTC. Islamic radicals are all out of the same melting pot no matter what nation they call home. Fact is, they hate the infidel and until that Great Day comes when the trumpet sounds (and when they look somewhat a bit surprised with all the ensuing events that will occur when it does) they will always hate each and every one of us, ie, the infidel. How many of you don't think they would kill to be the first in line to dirty bomb nuke an American city? If it is your city, then will you be happy with the Pelusi Gang (with all their self-serving agendas) then? The Peulusi crowd seems to be about just being opposite of whatever the Republicans do. If the Republicans say "salt" (and why), then the Democrats w/o a flinch automatically say "pepper' (with usually no viable reasons or answers as to why they say "pepper"). They had their boy (Clinton) impeached (for "only" perjuring himself before a grand jury) so it only makes sense that they try to get George W. impeached to balance the board? Real "concern for "ALL" U.S citizens" patriots we have with the Nancy Pelusi Gang. Please O Lord, give us public servants who have the American citizenry in mind, rather than those public servants who have their own politcal futures and self-serving agendas at the top of their lists. I'm an Independent politically speaking but (as you might guess) I do lean toward conservate thought. I don't think much of this going on in Iraq or in any other part of the Middle East will have a happy Hollywood-type movie ending quite frankly. It seems the Hollywood crowd thinks if you ignore all this then it will (simply).................all go away. I spoke to the spouse of a FEMA employee the other day and we were talking Iraq (of which I feel our presence is not only necessary but is essential) and that not so much for Iraq, but what is now going on in Iran. BACK TO FEMA: The spouse of the FEMA employee & I spoke for about 15 minutes and she told me if the American public really knew what was going on inside this country with potential terrorism post 9-11 that they would not want our troops to leave America's Middle East presence ever. I told her that had been my gut feeling on this all alone albeit not the popular one (as Bush would attest with all his low ratings). I also told her I am glad the Nancy Pelusi Gang (who are IMHO the biggest bunch of "2-faced" gutless, no backboners who would sell us all out for the sake of advancing all their personal goverment careers (agendas) are the biggest bunch of hypocrites we've had in Washington D.C. in quite awhile); anyway, I'm glad none of that group (or those who think like them) were our leaders of Congress pre-WWII as they would have probably voted for the USA to stay neutral concerning the war in Europe AND because of it.................. in the USA today we all might be speaking German as our main language and the Green Brigade at half time would march "goose-step" style to appease those in charge of our country. (Personally, I think there will have to be another unfortunate major terrorism hit in the USA before most of the Democrats become true believers in what is going on right under their very noses and most of their home constituencies). When such US-based terrorism happens (and experts say its not a matter of if--but when) the Democrats will have a helluva' bunch of "esplaining" to do while at the same time they try to come up with damage control for each of their own political futures (if they would have such). Unfortunately, President George W. Bush is just not a very effective communicator of his ideas like Ronald Reagan or others of his predeccessors--no comparison, but I think history will prove that he did the right thing with all this Iraq business. As always, it will take a few decades for history to prove who made the right decision on all this concerning Iraq. We all know Viet Nam was a major disaster for this country, but we never had to worry about Viet Namese bombing New York City, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Pentagon, the US Capitol Bldg, etc, etc, etc, etc, If any of those things happen in the near future in the USA, the Democrats who pushed for this timetable of a pullout in Iraq will be dead in the water politically with the majority in this country because (as Roman mob mentality prevails) they willl be the ones who will be blamed for bringing all this back and inside our country's borders--which has not had any acts of terrorism since 9-11 (and since we've been in Iraq to prove to those in that part of the world that the United States of America will hardly remain neutral with any of their terrorists plans and shenanigannery whatsoever) Hopefully, the present and future security of the United States of America, ie, the leading nation of the free world, will not be sacrificed or jeopardized by a few politicians in our nation's capital who would rather be right about their overall political philosophies as compared to their political rivals; that is, with their even being right at (possibly) the expense of our national security.

Man oh man oh Chavez, Bobcatters... It does warm my soul to know that all GoMeanGreen.com posters have been nothing but Sushine, Lollipops & Rainbows in all discussions relating to our alma mater; even when NT Exes and even the school whose name graces most of our degrees was catching some semblance of hell for about 4 yrs running on post football game radio shows. Nevertheless, I suppose the trusted, tried and proved best barometer of any NCAA D1 athletic program (especially in Texas) will always be how many seats are filled OR................how many empty seats there are during both the good and the bad times. Such criteria as attendance should be toward the top of most AD's criteria list as far as how to evaluate his entire staff from top to bottom, because once all the off season ("we're going to win it all this next season?") talk runs its course, isn't it still all about turnstile numbers? Even the President of the United States of America has periodic opinion polls posted all over our national media, so I guess when it comes to public officials in our country, there will always be some kind of evaluation going on from the general public.

Good post, ADLER... And for another aforementioned post, there are also a whole bunch of jack rabbits in the Greater Lubbock area, too, but of course, unlike the cows mentioned in that above post, their seats won't need to be quite as large.

I agree with 99.9% of the spirit of your post, Smitty. Coach Johnny Jones' Mean Green baskeball team came out like block-busters from the SBC Tourney to make us all proud with their efforts yesterday against the hottest team in the NCAA, ie, the University of Memphis Tigers. Is it 23 straight wins for UMemphis now? Even former Dallas ABC affiliate sports guy Verne Lundquist was duly impressed and kept tossing more and more bouquets toward our alma mater, maybe more in yesterday's 2 plus hour national TV showing than he ever did all the years he was the main sports guy over at Channel 8! Nevertheless..............Thanks, Vern! BUT NOW LETS GET A FEW FACTS STRAIGHT, OK? .................."ONLY" 32 school selections for the the Big Dance during the Bill Blakely era probably had much to do with none of his teams getting selected, Smitty. If there had been only 32 schools selected for this year's Big Dance, how many fine schools would not have made this years March Madness, with you know which school located in the northern part of Texas as probably one of those? AND................. Hayden Fry never coached a team in an SBC-type consortium of schools with a bowl tie-in, either--wish he would have, though. Seems Fry had a Top 20 football team or 2 and for those who want to even pooh-pooh that about their alma mater, do check your degrees to make sure what school name is at the top of your degree. BTW, I think other coaches back then probably voted for their own schools, too, but probably had to have more than just their own vote to get in those old Top 20 polls? So lets not completely revise all of our UNT past because our school is finally beginning to act like the 4'th largest university in Texas (and in a completely different era of unprecedented Denton, Denton County and main campus growth which also must be pointed out). Usually as the years and decades progress, so do most D1 schools athletic programs (if they have good overall campus leadership and true, bonafide D1 talent running those schools varsity athletic programs). Honest to goodness, I don't think anything will stop Johnny Jones from here on out and it couldn't have happened to a nice, better human being who seems 100% sincere with all people and even more important for all who attended UNT, he is very alumnus-friendly. In hindsight and in retrospect, my only problem with yesterday is that when I was an NT student, we were even in the same conference with our opponent, ie, the Memphis Tigers; also in the old MVC with us were Lousiville, Tulsa, Cincinnati, etc, etc, etc, but all of those schools (just like UNT) left the Mo' Valley for other opportunities which would improve each of their football program's futures and looking at the schools who took all our places in the old Missouri Valley Conference, all that turned out to be a smart move for all our respective schools. But Smitty, in my opinion, you are right-on inasmuch that the future is brighter than ever in Mean Green Country.

Posted this in the Football Section, too. We dog owners do love our dogs now don't we--hellsbells, they're part of the family! Somthing about wheat gluten gone bad in the 2 aforementioned brands and mostly in their wet food thus far. Saw this headline on the AOL.com headlines just minutes ago.

Something about wheat gluten gone bad. Some dogs have died. I have 2 Great Pyranese and a Border Collie. I know some of you who have dogs who would want to know this info. Saw this on AOL.com headlines today.

Yeah, but not as "over-shadowed" as when SMU and TCU were in the Southwest Conference. Build a 40,000 seat football stadium at a Texas public university and in a state where its still KING FOOTBALL and at a campus 35 miles north of SMU and TCU and then lets see just how over-shadowed we are. BUT BACK TO BASKETBALL......................BEAT MEMPHIS RAW!

Different strokes for different folks? Dude, one little girl from Burleson, Texas, is a multi-millionairre because of American Idol and most know her as Kelly Clarkson. I think that may be a couple more dollars than KTCK 1310 The Ticket's Mike Rhyner's band (Petty Theft) makes, right? Before Idol and as a younger girl, Ms. Clarkson used to sing at a friend of mine's weekly karaoke gigs in Johnson County. (Oh gosh! Not karaoke, too)! BEAT MEMPHIS BLOODY RAW! (Well, not literally, of course).

And if that ever happened from JJ, may the ghosts of Dr. L. L. Armstrong (former FBC, Denton, minister from decades ago) and his Minister of Music , ie, the late Mr. Bill Shadle haunt those who say JJ has done such. (One job I had in college was being a janitor at FBC Denton and I got to know those 2 late "sainted" staffers on a first name basis--hey, even a part time janitor gets a little respect from most Baptist! From a distance and as mostly a MG footballer, my impression of Coach Johnny Jones has always been such that it had me pulling for this NT staffer to be a success in Denton because of the way he treats people. Truly wish I could have had the same feelings for others up there the last 2 or so decades. BEAT THE MEMPHIS TIGERS!

Sorry, UNTflyer, and for certain not calling you out on this most minor non-athletic subject or anyone who feels the same as you obviously do about karaoke, but since on the subject of karaoke, I don't get it with those who think that that form of entertaiment, ie, which (many times) features some pretty darn good vocalists with actual professional instrumental and vocal background tracks is so socially unacceptable. Most everyone I have ever seen roll their head backs at the mention of karaoke seems to change their minds almost every time once they have been on stage and in the spotlight a time or 2 or 3 or more. America Idol drawing over 30 million TV viewers in one evening recently suggests to some that listening to amateur vocalists doing their thing is not only interesting, but even entertaining to many and I defer to those 30 million plus Americans watching the good, the bad and the ugly of vocal music talent on an American Idol show a few weeks ago. Over 30 million viewers for any non-major athletic event on a weeknight is most staggering ratings numbers and anyone from the Nielsen ratings group would say that. AMAZING BUT TRUE: There is a New Orleans-style restrauant/bar over here in Parker County (believe it or not) called Boo Rays that packs em' in on Karaoke Night every Thursday night. A lady friend and I tried to get a parking place last Thursday night for a late dinner at Boo Rays and could not find one parking spot (in a very large parking lot and all this across from UNT graduate and Big UNT Donor Jerry's (Durant) Cheverlet. BUT...................sorry, this alum likes his karaoke and the real bonafide talent I've (many times) heard singing it with real professional background tracks. NOTE: Some of you will remember our national president of the NT Exes karaoke'ing at a party out here in the wilds of Parker County a while back and his rendition of Elvis Presley's "Polk Salad Annie" and you (truly) haven't seen or heard it all unless you could have heard his rendition of that song! GMG!

And with all those aforementioined listings, MeanMag, more the reason UNT "MUST" not let Todd Dodge, Incorporated and all the positive publicity his hiring has begat our school become what UNT Athletics (solely) uses as its main promotion for the 2007 football campaign; or for the 2008 campaign or for the 2009 campaign and so forth so on... Nothing new for most around these parts, but there is a bit of competition for media attention (and most importantly) the entertainment dollar. Hopefully, UNT never stops trying to solve this problem (which we also share with SMU and TCU FWIW). And wouldn't large group promotions be essential any year/any football season at UNT and that no matter who the ones that are on payroll or are charge in the athletic dept. in Mean Green Country? Personally can't wait to see what the next new thing our collegiate athletic types come up with for their next new "must do" trend (such as all this "junior" committment business which I personally think is a bit of a stretch bordering on the ridiculous; I mean, when does this become a "sophmore" committment campaign).

Maybe because UNT BB has been in the freezer (trying to thaw out) for most of its multi-decades history? Most of us when we were students and when the Super Pit first opened, thought "nothing could stop us now" but UNT's Human Resources Dept.,ie, past UNT AD's made us forget our theory with that. When any SBC or UNT BB gets past a 1'st round in the the big dance, then you start getting some semblance of regional notice and respect. Get to the Sweet 16 and then you get the national variety. If anyone gets this thing (finally) going up there, many of us will hope its the very likeable Johnny Jones.

Or Hugh Hefner? (Jeez, Hef', didn't know you had time for college sports). Maybe UNT basketball (after all these decades) has finally found its Moses? I hope so and I hope its Johnny Jones because he is a very, very like-able person which is what I've observed the few times I've been around him or seen him on a TV interview.

And even more the reason we need a 40,000 seat stadium for all the new fans/new faces that UNT has as much opportunity to gain at the turnstiles than most any other school in the bottom half of NCAA D1-A. We can slowly remove UNT from the "haves not" grouping if we play our cards right in Denton. Not saying we will ever match what Notre Dame and USC are doing, but I'm sure most of you get my drift. At some point in time with all the other pieces of our puzzle falling in place (personel-wise) all this growth will translate to such new fans/new faces. Wonder how many more we have today since the hiring of Todd Dodge? Speaking of Dodge Ball era: A business associate and myself were at a Weatherford eatery a few days ago and I'm wearing my Mean Green gear (including baseball cap) and these 2 black dudes who were heading toward the entrance of the eatery as my friend and I were leaving. Anyway, one of the most amiable guys hollers out at me: "You ready for football season?" of course, I responded with a "YES!" He continued: "You guys are going to do good with your new head football coach." I respond totally agreeing with this person I've never ever seen. How many of you have had similar experiences? Quite frankly, I've had several similar "comments from total strangers" concerning TDodge and MG football from many who live more than 1 hour from Denton, Texas, America. Another such experience came from a very friendly Middle Eastern dude at a convenience store I was buying a newspaper. As a large majority of you already know, we really do have something very special happening right now in Denton, in fact, similar to when Hayden Fry was first hired at UNT, but the difference now is we have (dramatically) more enrollment at our main campus and a Denton County population that is 5X's larger than the mid-70's in which to add many, many new fans. As several of you have posted: We just cannot afford to blow this opportunity. I still defer to my signature statement below: