Huff

Start saving your money now to get to West Point for the Army game. It is a great experience.

One report that I heard was that we had about six million dollars in PLEDGES. That is not the same as money in the bank. It would be interesting to know how much we actually had IN THE BANK at this time. If anyone thinks that they can get a straight answer from someone in our Athletic Department, would you please give it a shot then post it here?

As far as a game in the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair - Been There.....Done That.....Never Again..... We played Oklahoma State in The Cotton Bowl during the State Fair many years ago. It was a big flop. We really do not need to do that one again.

Each year we play at least one game against a team that will not return the game. The games against Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU are examples. If we are going to do that we should balance the schedule by playing a home game against a team where we do not have to return the game. A game against Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, or Texas State - San Marcos would be examples. On another topic recently ArkStFan gave an example of a good schedule. It included four home conference games, four road conference games, one "money" away game, one home game against a 1-AA and a home and home series with two schools that are similar to you. I thought it was a good blueprint for scheduling.

I think beating Tulsa would be more important. If we beat Kansas State then lose to Tulsa at home a lot of people will think "Oh, no.....here we go again" and all the momentum from the Kansas State win will be lost. If we win at home against Tulsa perhaps a few of our casual fans will have a good experience and come back for another home game. A loss to Tulsa at Fouts Field would kill that.

I have heard it said that "if you don't want to do something, you can always find a reason". I am sure that there are people who do not come to North Texas games because they don't like night games (or day games). Some will say they don't come because they don't like the teams we play. Some will say that they don't come because there is no good parking. Some will say they don't come because they don't like the offense the coach runs because we run too much (or pass too much). Some will say they don't come because they don't like the color of the uniforms. Some will say they don't come because the seats are too far from the playing field, or the rest rooms aren't nice enough, or there are not enough chair backed seats, or there is not enough Kettle Korn. We need more fans who WILL COME to the games because a team from The University of North Texas is playing today. We have a very small group of fans that will show up to see North Texas play if the game is against The University of Texas at Austin or against Austin College. We just need more of them .

Denver would probably be a better fit for the Big West or Big Sky conferences but there are problems for them with both of those leagues. The Big West does not play football but all their schools are in one state - California. They might not be interested in letting in a member from outside of California. The Big Sky has nine members. All of them play football. Adding Denver as a tenth school in all sports except football might not be a bad deal for them. I feel sorry for Denver because they are a very long way from most of the Sun Belt Conference members. Their travel budget must be huge. I wish them well in finding a new home - if that is what it comes to.

My wife asked for - and received - two of the folding lawn chairs for Mother's Day. I know, I know...she is spoiled. But at this point in our lives I guess it is okay to splurge a little.

Does anyone know when we are going up there to return the game? With the cost of jet fuel on the rise, I might need to start a special savings account just to pay for the trip. Whatever the cost......I am going.

We have made several North Texas road games over the last few years but none of them was a better experience than the one to West Point during the Matt Simon era. When the schedule comes out for us to return that game, make plans to hock your wife's jewelry or get a second mortgage on your house if necessary, but make the trip to West Point. It is one that you will remember for a long time.

I think we need to remember that the basketball playing schools were there before we were. This conference was one that played basketball then added football - not the other way around. Would it be nice if all our schools played football? Sure it would, but if the non-football playing schools want to stay, it is fine with me. We have almost always been in a conference where not all the schools played football. The old Missouri Valley Conference did not have all football playing schools. The Big West was the same way. A few years after we joined The Southland Conference it was mandated that all schools play football but that quickly changed. The Sun Belt is the same way. To me, it is not a big deal.

Thank goodness I was never paid what I was worth. If that had ever happened I would have had to see about getting food stamps for my family.

When our school district built two fields for our junior high school football teams, the area for the clock keeper had to be placed in front on the stands at a level that could be accessed by a person on crutches or in a wheelchair. We were told that the Americans With Disabilities Act prohibited a press box at the top of the stands unless an elevator was installed (or some other manner of access was provided) That was WAY too expensive. I wonder how the UNT folks got around that requirement. Does anyone know about that. The improvements look great. I was just wondering about handicapped access to the top level. Perhaps the requirements that I mentioned were only for NEW construction.

Greenminer asked abut who the AD was at the time of Abner Haynes and Hayden Fry. They were really at different times. Abner Haynes last year at North Texas was for the 1959 football season. Hayden Fry was hired following the 1972 season. At the time that Abner Haynes played at North Texas the duties of the athletic director was given to the man who was head of the Men's Physical Education department. Dr. Jess Cearley is the name that I remember. I am not sure if he was still in place when Hayden arrived but at some point in time Hayden became Athletic Director in addition to being head football coach. Until Hayden arrived all the football coaches taught classes in the men's physical education department and earned tenure as teachers. As a result of that, many of them were able to stay at North Texas after their coaching days ended. That changed when Hayden arrived. They became full time coaches with no teaching duties.

I am sure that this is football related in some way. Today's print edition of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram has a nice front page story with the title of "For Professors Old School Look Is Always In Fashion". It talks about the robes worn by university professors at graduation events. It shows two gentlemen from UT-Arlington in the robes from the Universities where they obtained their degrees. It also shows Dr. B in a pretty green gown. The story says in part....."The rules for academic costumes are are also old and complicated, but if you're a university president you can color outside the lines. President Gretchen Bataille of The University of North Texas sports a mean green gown and former University of Texas president Larry Faulkner had a costume designer work up a custom doctoral regalia in burnt orange." That is some nice positive publicity for our school at a time when we could use it.

The question is asked by LoveMG regarding whose fault this is. Perhaps a better way to ask that question would be to ask who is in charge of the academic performance of our student athletes. When you go to the UNT Athletics web site and click on "Academics" you can find the name Cinnamon Sheffield at the top of the page showing staff members. Her name is followed by three other staff members. If we are holding people responsible for the failures of their teams on the fields and courts (and we are) perhaps RV needs to have a talk with her about the consequences of continued failure of our student athletes in the classroom. The success of our student athletes on the field or court will be short termed but their successes or failures in the classroom can be very far reaching.

I am looking for four or five wins. We need to start having winning seasons soon. Todd Dodge can't live off of his reputation as an outstanding high school coach for much longer. Sooner or later (preferrable sooner) he will have to produce or the recruits will not continue to listen to his visions for our future.

Viva Kathy Ireland..........in any language

That tie was one of the best football games I have ever seen. North Texas and Stephen F. Austin played in Nacogdoches on the next to last week of the season. Stephen F Austin had some very good athletes (three were later taken in the NFL draft) and a good team. North Texas jumped on them early and kicked some tail in the first half. We had a big lead at the half. It evaported - plus some - in the second half as Stephen F. Austin took advantage of several North Texas mistakes. We found outselves in a fourth down and forever to go play late in the fourth quarter. Mitch Maher threw a "Hail Mary" type pass that our big tight end (Luis Silva) somehow managed to catch for a first down. North Texas had a chance to win the game but an official missed an obvious pass interference call on a SFA defensive back in the end zone that would have set up a first down at the two yard line. North Texas kicked a field goal to tie the game and went into Nicholls State the next week and won the game and the Southland Conference championship. After the SFA game one of our good fans got into a fight with a SFA fan in the parking lot. I think it ended in a tie, too.

Robbie is a great kid and an outstanding student. He was in one of my wife's classes when she was still teaching at Azle High School. He will help the academics, character, and graduation rate for our football team. I hope he can get some playing time. He is one of the kids that you root for and hope he can find a spot on special teams or as a linebacker. I am not sure why he was not recruited after his senior year but Azle High School has very few kids who sign with Division I or Division I-AA schools. In our 35 years here only one kid signed with a Division I school - several years ago with Texas Tech. Robbie has the frame to put on several more pounds and not lose any speed. Let's hope he can be successful. We could sure use another good linebacker or two.

This is nothing new for Kansas State. Bill Snyder built some of his very best teams by bringing in junior college kids. They have done it before and can make it work again. They probably won't be clicking on all cylinders for their first game but should be ready by the time they hit their most important games later in the season.

I'm jealous. We have been talking about building a stadium for about 30 years now. They have one under construction. We went down there for our game with them in 2005. The place they had to play in was horrible. I am not sure how they got anyone to play for them. This will help them a lot. I know that they are at the bottom of the Belt today, but they won't stay there.......

I believe you will find that we still play LSU in 2008 just a little later in the season.

Stebo, I THINK the key to it is his graduation from the Junior College this Spring. If he graduates, I THINK he becomes eligible at North Texas for the 2008 season and would have two years to play for us. There may be some special situation regarding him that I am not aware of, but that is what I think based on what little I know of the situation.

I am glad to know that he is getting his degree. We have had some good players come through North Texas who did not get their degrees. Jamario will be far ahead of them in the long run. Congratulations to him.