Huff

My wife and I commented on how nice it was to look accross to our student section and see a bunch of GREEN. Boy, that is a change from a few years ago.

What these kids need is time. When our current Freshmen and Sophomores become Juniors and Seniors we have a chance to be pretty good. Until then it is going to be pretty bumpy as these players grow up. At times it will be downright ugly. Growth takes time. Our coaching staff and players both need time to find out what has to be done to compete at the Division One level. I just hope it happens.

I am one who is looking down the road. I do not believe that Riley playing this year will make any real difference in our won-lost record. We simply do not have the talent -or experience - around him for that to be the case. Four years from now having him available to play QB when we have a more talented - and experienced - team might make a huge difference. It is a moot point now, though isn't it? I will go back to my comment on a different thread. This might tell us how long Daddy Dodge plans on being in Denton.

Yes, P1 there are others who believe that. With their offense and our defense it might take a special effort on his part for that to NOT happen.

His playing wide receiver might also tell us that Daddy Dodge does not plan to be around her for what would be Riley's fifth year.

Let me add to the list of those who asked....What Video? I certainly did not see it and had expected to. Oh, well......maybe next game.

It was a nice story. Unfortunately he does not have the material to work with that he had the last time he was here. It is hard to make chicken salad when you don't have any chickens.

Rice is scheduled to return the game but it is not next year. I am not sure, but it might be 2010.

I am going to guess about 18,500. If we start the season 0-4 attendance could get ugly.

I am delighted to see the NCAA get tough on all the hot dogging that goes on during a game. It detracts from the game and has no place in it. I hope that they stay tough all year long.

Harry, I really do like Hank, but I think I like Jenna a whole lot more than Hank. I still think that we are lucky to have him.

We are really lucky to have Hank. He does a great job in a lot of ways.

It does not do any good to have a design for a stadium if you do not have the money to build it. I can buy books full of plans for a new house but until I can find a way to finance the thing, it is just wishful thinking. Let me know when the financing is set. Until then I will just go back to watching my collection of Jenna Jameson videos.

UNTLIFER, I believe that the concourse area is inside the Super Pit but before you get to the seating area. Other groups have had events in this area in the past and it worked our pretty well. Somebody with more information might post it here to make sure that we are clear on the location.

I agree 100 per cent with the feelings of Grand Green. I am not sure what the cost of jet fuel will be when we play these guys but it will be expensive to get our team and administrators up there and back. That money could better be spent by contracting with Texas State - San Marcos, Sam Houston State, or SFA to play in Denton. I said as much to Hank and Rick a few days ago. I have such a huge amount of influence in that area that I am just certain that the contracts will be retuned to the MAC schools without a signature.

I think the biggest difference in Texas Tech and North Texas is the attitude of the leadership of the two schools and the areas they serve. This has been true for a long time. Tech and Lubbock go to work and get things done. North Texas and Denton sit on their tails and do little or nothing. Many years ago, Jones Stadium in Lubbock and Fouts Field in Denton were similar (not identical - but similar) in size and appearance. Tech's stadium did not have a track and had some old wooden bleachers in the south end of the stadium. They knew that this would not work for them for where they wanted to go. They did something miraculous. They cut the east side of their stadium into sections, jacked up the sections, built railroad tracks under the sections, put special cars under the sections, and MOVED THE SECTIONS BACK. They then reattached the sections of the stadium. They then dug down in front of the two sections of stands and enlarged their stadium. That is just one example of the way the folks in West Texas GET THINGS DONE. That is just a tad different from the attitude that I have seen in Denton over the last forty-five years and another reason that I DO NOT BELIEVE that we will be playing in a new stadium in 2010. Call me negative if you wish, I prefer to think of myself as being realistic. To paraphrase the fellow in the movie who said "Just show me the money" I would tell you "Just show me the stadium".

Number 54 is Robbie Deheck from Azle. He earned an opportunity to walk on by going through their "boot camp" last Spring. He might be able to help us on special teams this year and eventually get some good playing time. He is a great kid and an outstanding student. He will sure not hurt the grade point average of the program. It is good to see a good kid like that get the chance to compete for a positon.

When Rick comes to knock on my door I will invite him in, get him a cold beer, and ask him what took him so long. You see, the Advancement Office knocked on my door about five years ago. At that time I promised to give a certain amount each year for three years. That three year commitment was completed last August. Now, what other means do we have to get another thirty million dollars? I just do not see it happening in time for us to be in a new stadium by 2010. Any other suggestions? I don't think a bake sale is going to work, either.

One of you fellows will have to help me to understand how the stadium being ready by the 2010 season can work. If I remember correctly (and that is a very big IF) I read that it will take 18 months to build a stadium. If I remember correctly (another big IF) I read that the president of the university recently said that we needed to have half of the needed money ($30 million) before we started construction. So, if my calculations are right, we would need to raise $30 million dollars by March of 2009. That is seven months away. I am not convinced that we can get that done. Please help me to understand.

I am sure that UNTflier is right....we should just stay out of this important election and let our campus leaders handle it. I mean, that has worked so well in the past that we will all be confident in the outcome of that election, won't we? I wonder what would happen if a group of folks known as Friends of Football took out ads in the North Texas newspaper giving the advantages of building a new football stadium? I wonder what would happen if this same group bought air time on KNTU?.....or printed fliers to be posted on off campus locations where students gather? .....or any of several other activities that might cause students to see the benefit of a new football stadium? It is probably a bad idea. That's okay, I really do not mind seeing games at Fouts Field. I've been doing it since I enrolled there in 1960. I can make it a few more years.

I agree 100 per cent with GreyEagleOne's comments. The president of the university and the athletic director should make a decision about what is needed then work like crazy to get that done. That includes doing their dead level best to see that the student election (when held) comes out the right way for the university's best interests. To do otherwise is just stupid. Now, having said that, our Athletic Director finds himself in a tough spot. He has to do as he is told by the president of the university even if he strongly disagrees with her instructions. This is similar to how a Superintendent of Schools finds himself in a school bond election. It is illegal for a Superintendent to try to convince people to vote for a bond package. He can only give information. That is where the membership of this board comes in. Superintendents will often find a group of people in the community that believe that a bond package needs to be passed and contact them. It is legal for a group of citizens to organize and work toward a bond election passing. That might be what the leadership of this board needs to do. Some of our more active members need to contact Rick V and start to get organized. It is possible to provide students with information that would cause them to vote for a funding package that would pay for a new stadium. It is legal for people not employed by the university to actually encourage the students to vote FOR the issue. It won't be easy, but it can be done. Anyone interested ?????

Green Dozer wrote of the man who said "it is the same old story, just a different decade." What hurts the most about reading that is how true it is. We have had season tickets since 1972 and have seen more bad years than good ones. I would like to think that we can get out stuff together, but I am just no longer sure that it will happen - at least not in my lifetime.

Let's put this student fee deal on a more personal basis. What would it take for you to vote to increase the rate that you pay for electricity at your house? For me, personally, I would have to see a direct correlation between an increase in the electric rate (money out of my pocket) and some direct benefit to me personally. Some kind words about increasing the value of the community in which I live would probably fall on deaf ears in my town. Since the vast majority of students at North Texas do not attend football games, I think those who are proposing this idea of a student vote in increasing the money out of the pocket of the students (or their parents) need to think it through very carefully. If the suggestion was to put a $10 per ticket surcharge on each ticket sold to athletic events in order to build a new football stadium, how would the people who post on this board receive that suggestion? It is close to the same thing. Let's hear your thoughts, please.

I think you are dreaming.

I have not done a complete look at football schedules since 2006 but in that year North Texas was the only Division I school in Texas that did not play a Division I-AA school. Even the mighty Texas Longhorns and Texas Aggies were host to a I-AA team. If we are going to have to play a money game on the road against a school that will not return the game we need to balance our schedule by playing a game against a team where we do not have to return the game.