eulessismore

How many of us would be ok with admitting that, whoever we think will start the season, we have no idea as to who will end it? I know that I don't know, especially since both Riley and Nathan were knocked out of the last game, and that was against Arkansas State, who we had played very close the two previous seasons. I hope we can have enough offensive plays that we don't have to depend on having only one player to run them.

Well, I'm glad you show some concern for the environment. According to some here, that just makes you an America hater.

Heck, we already have a kicker who's kicked a 47 yarder, in a football game; check out the link: Will Atterberry, per meangreensports Still, he didn't do as well at punting later last season (and Knott also regressed), once other teams figured out that North Texas couldn't hold off anybody's punt block or field goal block units. It won't really matter who punts or kicks until the coaches and players come up with a solution for that.

Man, you're writing soliloquys all over the place today. So, do people self identify as "left" and "right" anymore? I can't think of anyone who does; maybe because both ends of the political spectrum have done such wonderful things in the past that most of don't feel like we can really compete. Your takedown of "environmentalists" reminds me of a quote by the confessed environmentalist Don Henley, when he was being interviewed by for a feature on him in the "North Texan", while showing the student reporter around the Caddo Lake (which he has admittedly tried to conserve). Oh yes the quote: "Y'ont some pie?" Have you ever thought about writing as eloquently as Mr. Henley? I'm sure you've both had good learning opportunities at what he called the "wonderful" North Texas English Department. Oh, and I took a point from you by giving you a negative one, so I've given and taken from you today. I'm sure you enjoy a good give and take.

The Ike Turner reference reminds me of the headline the morning after he died, "Ike Turner Beats Tina to Death". So, hey, I gave you a point for making me grin.

Who's he? Sounds like maybe I don't want to know.

It's interesting that the link you provided had a link to National Geographic front and center; to me, NG has provided the most coherent explanations of climate change in all this dialogue: of course some of climate change is due to natural cycles, but what is the evidence against what NG claims that it's about 50-50 at this point? Anyway, I got more out of clicking on the NG link than clicking on the one about fat loss; did anyone figure out how to make that work? I hate to say it, but some of the web sites presenting these anti climate change views could appear a little more credible without seeming to say that everything's a conspiracy. Oh yes, some progressives are radicals. Aren't many of us glad that there were "Radical Republicans" around the time of the American Civil War advocating against slavery? Now that was a radical position.

I still say it's a fair assessment that there's plenty of blame to go around for the shortcomings in our kicking game. One attempt I can remember hoping we would make at the time was right before halftime of the Ohio game. I think we were somewhere within the 5 when Dodge decided to go for it on 4th down, and we didn't convert. Knott had made a field goal from further back earlier in the game, so I couldn't see a reason to have no confidence in him to make that chip shot, rather just thinking we could get a line surge that didn't happen. I think that winning that game could have been a real confidence builder for UNT. Of course, we turned out going into overtime and losing by a point; the difference being the 2 point conversion for Ohio in the second OT, I believe. I see that one game turning on Dodge's decision making, and wonder if there was some psychological "hangover", both for Knotts and for the rest of the team (especially since nobody expected us to win in the next two games against Alabama and Troy).

I do like the way you've quantified the kicking issue; I've gotten kind of tired of people like eulesseagle saying so many of our problems were on this one guy...now if he said so much of it was on the kicking game, including the guys who coached(?) it, I might go along with that.

I agree with the concept of the kicking game needs to improve; however, how much of that can be laid at the feet of the kickers and punters, since all of them I can think of since Dodge became HC have regressed? I mean, how long before the coaching staff can figure out how to get the blocking schemes and personnel for the kicking and punting games to succeed in such basic tasks as getting PAT kicks completed for a reasonable percentage? I just don't understand this; especially after seeing one of the kickers from his SL Carroll days kick the game winning FG for the Saints last week. Just reading about him was revealing, that he had the longest streak of successful PAT kicks in Carroll's history, until that was beaten by the next two SL kickers. Does anyone have any thoughts here? Also, I guess that since eulesseagle is saying the fault for our recent failures is "weighted more so towards the players" and "NT now has experienced players and coaching staff", there's little that could be given as excuses "weighted toward the players" for next season, since what few who remain from the previous staff have had the benefit of that "experience".

I think you're out of luck on this one; with 7 wins, Dodge would get the credit for making the right hire; also, even if Canales were to get that offer he couldn't refuse, Dodge could then be in the position of "hey, the change in management philosophy worked, we'll hire another OC to fill that role". I don't think that having assistants from an improving program move on to greener pastures is usually considered a knock on the head coach of said program. If there were points for reaching, though, I'd give you one.

Don't you think it's possible some of this may not be known? Sure, the details of the contract will be subject to freedom of information, but what about other considerations that might be just verbal assurances between the principals? Not to suggest anything illegal, just saying that when Canales mentioned "what's best for his family", there may have been some information provided to him during the process that were about the overall compensation, not just the salary for this coming year. In fact, I had been hoping for him to mention making a decision based on what's best for his family, and he did.

Hey dude, I gave you one for throwing Kram1 that softball when you knew what would happen.

And how many did any tight end catch at North Texas, one? And how many attempts were there? I still think that most college spread system tight ends catch relatively few passes. I think the key is to get them the ball in situations that call for it, like a short pass into the corner of the end zone. Also, it sounds like Canales emphasizes blocking by receivers, which I think is a big part for a tight end. Overall, rather than the number of passes that a tight end catches that makes their presence in an offense important, I would think that it's the mix of plays where they are on the field and the extent to which those plays achieved the desired result. Of course, some variety is called for, since you wouldn't want the presence of said tight end to signal the play always being a pass to the tight end(s), but there would be times you would want to be able to succeed in getting a yard or two for a first down, even if the opponent knows you're running behind a tight end. That said, I do hope to see less predictability with our offense.

Or on the centerfield grass?

Not any longer.

I'm just finding it unexpectedly difficult to post or to reply to a post. Is it maybe because I'm using IE 6?

http://www.footballscoop.com/?cat=24

Well, Price probably could sound believable if he said Hall would have a chance to get playing time soon. It might go something like, "Trevor Vittatoe will be playing his last season next year; competition for quarterback will be wide open in 2011; if you redshirt next year, you may be a 4 year starter".

I was thinking the same thing last night, for reasons that are fairly obvious at this point.

Absolutely...NOT! Especially after I started trying to read Stephen King's "Under the Dome" and realizing it was "over my head". Really, maybe there was something in there that could be a takeaway for the Mean Green Nation; it's not the crisis that matters, but how those affected respond to it. Will they come together and gain strength in numbers, or fall into factions that undermine the community through infighting? I just see the need as an attitude change; a "sky's the limit" (yes, vertical passing game included) attitude. No, I'm not saying anyone or any group is being small minded, but I do say that, as alumni, we should look at the successes of our own school and learn from them. No, the College of Music (or of Visual Arts, or whatever school, department, etc. you may think of) is not some monolithic entity whose successes take away from the potential of our athletic programs; rather, they provide an example of how world class we can be. I can think of a music school graduate (Rhett Butler) talking about how North Texas is as good as any place in the world for a musician to learn, and a former employee at the City of Dallas telling a group of students on a tour of our Emergency Operations Center that North Texas is the place to learn emergency management. Really, I've never noticed many (if any) here respond positively to such. It's like those bemoaning Don Henley for not doing enough; do they not realize that he mentions his North Texas experience on the first page of his website (yeah, maybe he should have given us a million, like he did towards the preservation of Caddo Lake, but his kick is being an environmentalist-something that may not sit well with many here no matter what)? Sometimes, it just seems like the attitude is that noone can do enough...does that lead some to think they shouldn't even bother?

Let me make this clear though; I'd still rather that Todd Dodge become successful and provide us a chance to keep him around for a while. It seems that most successul college football programs will have at least one period when a coach stays and is successful for an extended period. That will be difficult for Dodge at this point, with the start he has had, but still possible. I say that the argument in his favor is that he wants to be here; a lot of coaches nowadays seem to follow of play of using various colleges as stepping stones to some ultimate payday. I think a big key is finding the right assistants and delegating enough that they do their best to grow and improve. The next week or two could be really big for the future of North Texas football.

I knew I could find a real gem out there somewhere about Julia Smith; I think this link from Time Magazine, 1939, is pretty cool. However, they don't mention she even attended North Texas, just as a Denton girl who "made good by way of Juilliard": Time Magazine on Julia Smith's "Cynthia Parker", from 1939

I'd rather we have an open mind, and consider a fairly long list, and take our time. It doesn't look like it's hurting ECU any that they didn't get their first pick. I think a key there was that they hired an alumni who has strong ties to the area, and calls it his "destination" (it didn't hurt that he brought Lincoln Riley along for the ride). I've wondered about a quote attributed to Kragthorpe that he had no desire to become head coach at North Texas, back when he was an assistant and it looked like there might be opportunity here. He worked out to well at Tulsa, and disappoinated so much at Louisville that I have to wonder if he's someone who requires a feeling of attachment to a place that he does not feel here (and may not have had at Louisville, although the fans there never really gave him a chance from the get go).

Hell yes; I'm actually feeling guilt at this point about not buying one of your tank Army t shirts; maybe it was that sense of conflict from having been in the Army just before going to North Texas; one green machine right after the other. At this point though, I promise I'll buy one of any t shirt you're selling that helps our cause; the glory of the green!