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SO WHAT ? Until we get into another conference let the "beatings" continue. Better to WIN in this "terrible" conference than to lose, RIGHT ?

Drop the puck! Tonight in rinks across North America the NHL welcomes back hockey fans for opening night of the 2005-06 season. All NHL clubs will be in action to open the season, a first in League history, as the NHL embarks on a new era. It's life in the fast lane right from the get-go this season as Sidney Crosby makes his much anticipated NHL debut at 7:30 p.m. as the rejuvenated Pittsburgh Penguins, with a healthy Mario Lemieux and newcomers Ziggy Palffy, John LeClair and Sergei Gonchar, meet the New Jersey Devils. In Tampa Bay, the Lightning will raise the 2004 Stanley Cup banner, won in a scintillating seven-game series with the Calgary Flames, in pregame ceremonies prior to the 7:30 p.m. opening faceoff with the Carolina Hurricanes. In Vancouver, "The Great One", Wayne Gretzky, makes his debut as a head coach, guiding a substantially changed Phoenix Coyotes squad against the Vancouver Canucks, who welcome Todd Bertuzzi back into their lineup. And in Philadelphia (7 p.m.), the New York Rangers will take on the Flyers in a game that marks the first NHL telecast by OLN, the League's new cable television partner in the United States. In Canada, TSN has opening night covered from all angles, with regional coverage of the Ottawa Senators taking on the Maple Leafs in Toronto (8 p.m.) in one of the League's white-hot rivalries. TSN also has the Flames opening their season in Minneapolis against the Wild at 8 p.m. The second games of the TSN twinbill see the Colorado Avalanche meeting the Oilers in Edmonton at 10 p.m., and the Coyotes-Canucks game at 10:30. RDS will telecast the Montreal Canadiens opening their season in Boston against the Bruins at 7 p.m. To commemorate the new direction, all fans attending games will receive a mini Stanley Cup, a remind of the ultimate goal for each of the NHL's 30 teams. "It's our way of thanking the fans for staying with us," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. "Obviously it was a long process, and I think we all feel good about the fact that we were able to forge a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a new partnership with our players that moves the game forward and put it on a stage that we have not seen for quite some time, and so we are very excited to start the season." *** Storylines abound as the new season takes shape. League-wide, there are the new rules that figure to open up the game and create more scoring and shootouts will be used to eliminate ties and the size of goaltenders' equipment has been reduced 11 percent. There will be much attention paid to the standard of enforcement of the rules that has seen the referees whistle down hooking, holding and slashing, thus giving the players the opportunity to move the puck and create more offense. It has been an ongoing process throughout the preseason to change the mindset of players, coaches and even officials about the need to see the game accelerate. Los Angeles Kings' forward Jeremy Roenick is a proponent of the new rules. "This is going to be great for the game in general, it's going to increase scoring and increase the excitement and open the game up for sure," said Jeremy Roenick, who now calls Los Angeles home. "The league is working hard right now behind the scenes to accelerate the process; meaning, the teams have all received, the coaches and the players and the managers, have all received DVD's," said Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom. "Our guys have gone through a training camp here. We're actually officiating games so that we can get into the right mindset, because it's not just the players' culture and the coaches' culture that needs to change. It's the officiating culture, as well, because what were accepted practices in the past will no longer be accepted practices in the future. So with all of that going on and us having pretty much an open-door policy in regard to the rules with the teams at exhibition games, we're hoping that the learning curve is accelerated. "However, when the games start, let's recognize that when a player gets beat by another player with the puck, now the player is going to have to make a decision: Do I hook and hold him, or do I let him go? And sometimes it won't even be that slow. It will be much quicker than that; he'll just react, and his reaction could in turn put him in the penalty box. So I don't think we will eliminate fouls in the hockey game, but we will definitely enforce the fouls that do take place." *** Selected with the first pick of the 2005 Entry Draft, Sidney Crosby's debut with the Penguins has been eagerly anticipated. A standout junior with Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Last season, he scored 66 goals and 102 assists and has been a star with Canada's national junior team as well. Crosby is widely regarded as the best junior player to come into the NHL since his Penguins' teammate, Mario Lemieux, debuted in 1984. But happily for hockey fans, Crosby is far from the only exciting, young player to come along this season. Talented, young players abound around the NHL, starting with Alexander Ovechkin, the top selection in the 2004 draft, who will debut with the Capitals when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. The Flyers are eager to see how junior stars Mike Richards and Jeff Carter fare in regular-season play. The Buffalo Sabres are excited about the possibilities offered by Thomas Vanek. In Atlanta, the Thrashers will welcome goalie Kari Lehtonen, one of the most anticipated goaltending prospects in years, to the NHL. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf is expected to make his debut with the Flames, while backliner Ryan Suter steps into the NHL ranks with the Nashville Predators and Zach Parise will be taking the first steps of his NHL career with the Devils. *** In addition to the many new faces, many established NHL stars have moved on to new teams. Peter Forsberg and Derian Hatcher are now Philadelphia Flyers. Ziggy Palffy, Sergie Gonchar and John LeClair are in Pittsburgh, Tony Amonte, Roman Hamrlik and Darren McCarty are Flames. Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts call Florida home, while Eric Lindros and Jason Allison are new Maple Leafs. The Chicago Blackhawks have significantly revamped their roster with the additions of goalie Nikolai Khabibulin from the Lightning and defenseman Adrian Aucoin from the Islanders. Brian Leetch is now a Bruin, Paul Kariya a Predator and Adam Foote a Blue Jacket. Scott Niedermayer left New Jersey to join his brother Rob with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Free agency wasn't the only vehicle for change during the offseason. The Oilers acquired defenseman Chris Pronger from St. Louis and center Michael Peca from the Islanders, sending Eric Brewer and two prospects for Pronger and Mike York and a pick for Peca. The Flyers traded Roenick to the Kings after signing Forsberg, and "JR" joins Pavol Demitra as two significant new Kings. And one of the biggest deals of the summer saw Dany Heatley join the Ottawa Senators, who sent winger Marian Hossa and defenseman Greg de Vries to the Atlanta Thrashers.

I couldn't DISAGREE more. 4 Consecutive Sun Belt Championships 4 Consecutive New Orleans Bowl Appearances 1 New Orleans Bowl Victory 26 game Conference winning streak Granted, most of our OOC games have been a disaster. And last night was a bitter pill to swallow. However, IMHO we would not have accomplished what we have without Darrell Dickey ! Now is the time to "rally around the troops" and continue supporting OUR MEAN GREEN !

DENTON (10/4/05) – North Texas’ fourth-quarter rally fell short as the Mean Green’s 26-game conference streak came to an end in a 13-10 loss to Troy on Tuesday night at Fouts Field. North Texas (1-3, 1-1 Sun Belt) lost its first conference game since a 2001 loss to Louisiana-Monroe in the Mean Green’s first-ever Sun Belt game. Troy (2-3, 1-0) won its first conference game of the season. Freshman quarterback Daniel Meager scored on a 20-yard run with 1:38 left in the game to bring North Texas within three, 13-10. It was NT’s second rushing touchdown of the season. The Mean Green failed to gain possession on the ensuing on-side kick, and the Trojans were able to run out the clock to seal the win. “It came down to turnovers and missed opportunities,” said North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey. “I’m disappointed that we made a lot of mistakes again and that prevented us from scoring.” North Texas recorded five turnovers in the game, tying for the most in the Dickey era. Three of the last four NT drives resulted in turnovers. Towards the end of the third quarter, North Texas started a drive near midfield after junior Johnny Quinn returned the kickoff 21 yards. On third and fifteen, Meager completed a 28-yard pass to Zach Muzzy, his third longest toss of the year. After a sack and an incomplete pass to Quinn, Meager threw his first of two interceptions in the game. Meager threw for a career-high 129 yards in the game. The Mean Green’s first points of the game came in the second quarter when senior Nick Bazaldua connected on a 21-yard field goal. Bazaldua missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter. Troy took 49 seconds to take an early 7-0 lead after recovering a fumble on NT’s 17-yard line. Quarterback Carl Meadows completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Toris Rutledge to put the Trojans ahead. Greg Whibbs connected on two of three field goals the help the Troy offense. Senior cornerback Ja’Mel Branch became the fifth Mean Green defender to record an interception this season when he halted the Trojans’ first drive of the game. North Texas returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 15 when it travels to Florida to play against FIU.

Saturday, October 29th.

It was.

TEXAS !!!

Where's "Chciago ?" ... From the topic title.

Leaving work around noon. Getting into Denton by 1:00. Bringing 3-5 Mean Green "first-timers." Let's "FILL FOUTS !"

Anyone know where I can get one before Tuesday's game ?

Yes. It is GREATNESS !

This coming Tuesday, October 4th, the North Texas football team will host the Troy Trojans before a "national" television audience on ESPN2. The "world wide leader in sports" reaches over 82 million homes. This will be the first nationally televised game ever from Fouts Field and could be the beginning of several such opportunities in the future. Throughout the evening the University of North Texas, the Mean Green Athletic program and the City of Denton will be highlighted. A large and enthusiastic crowd is a must! Come early as the Mean Green Tailgate Village will be open and events will begin as usual three hours prior to kickoff - live music, family fun zone, lettermen's tent, Mean Green March and other tailgating activities will help build momentum for this important Sun Belt Conference game. Kickoff is at 6:30 PM and tickets begin at just $8. We would like to encourage you to attend the game and show your support for North Texas and the City of Denton. You may order tickets at 1-800-UNT-2366 or (940) 369-8627. The first 3,000 students with a valid ID receive a free t-shirt.

Does a Dallas Chapter exist anymore ?

DENTON (9/29/05) - Legendary former North Texas coach Hayden Fry is returning to Denton to be honored during the Oct. 4 ESPN2 nationally televised game against Troy. The Hall of Fame coach will be recognized during the game for his many accomplishments while at the helm of the Mean Green football team from 1973-1978. Fry registered 40 wins at North Texas, ranking him fourth in school history in only six seasons. Aside from leading North Texas to the 1973 Missouri Valley Conference championship, Fry powered the Mean Green to the 1975 upset of national powerhouse Tennessee, considered by many to be one of the biggest wins in school history. Fry went on to coach at Iowa for 20 seasons, guiding the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten titles and 14 bowl appearances. The Odessa, Texas native ranks 10th in all-time coaching victories with 232 wins, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. The Oct. 4 game against the Trojans will be the first nationally televised game in the 54-year history of Fouts Field. Former players from the Fry era will receive two complementary tickets to the game and will be invited to the Coors Light & Rudy's BBQ Lettermen's Tailgate Tent to join in the pregame festivities with Coach Fry. For more information, contact Ryan Barnhart at (940) 369-8627 or at rbarnhart@unt.edu.

I went with the "20K-25K." Trying to be VERY optimistic. However, I haven't taken my medication yet this morning.

Seriously. After these past 2 weeks of "arse" whippings, it could be beyond ugly in front of 90K + in Baton Rouge !

Just showed K-State run back a punt for a TD. Didn't appear like anyone knows how to TACKLE !

Hmmn ...

BTW, how exactly do you make those changes ?

Here ya go ... NFL quarterback rating formula The NFL rates its passers for statistical purposes against a fixed performance standard based on statistical achievements of all qualified pro passers since 1960. The current system replaced one that rated passers in relation to their position in a total group based on various criteria. The current system, which was adopted in 1973, removes inequities that existed in the former method and, at the same time, provides a means of comparing passing performances from one season to the next. It is important to remember that the system is used to rate pass-ers, not quarterbacks. Statistics do not reflect leadership, play-calling, and other intangible factors that go into making a successful professional quarterback. Four categories are used as a basis for compiling a rating: Percentage of completions per attempt Average yards gained per attempt Percentage of touchdown passes per attempt Percentage of interceptions per attempt The average standard, is 1.000. The bottom is .000. To earn a 2.000 rating, a passer must perform at exceptional levels, i.e., 70 percent in completions, 10 percent in touchdowns, 1.5 percent in interceptions, and 11 yards average gain per pass attempt. The maximum a passer can receive in any category is 2.375. For example, to gain a 2.375 in completion percentage, a passer would have to complete 77.5 percent of his passes. The NFL record is 70.55 by Ken Anderson (Cincinnati, 1982). To earn a 2.375 in percentage of touchdowns, a passer would have to achieve a percentage of 11.9. The record is 13.9 by Sid Luckman (Chicago, 1943). To gain 2.375 in percentage of interceptions, a passer would have to go the entire season without an interception. The 2.375 figure in average yards is 12.50, compared with the NFL record of 11.17 by Tommy O'Connell (Cleveland, 1957). In order to make the rating more understandable, the point rating is then converted into a scale of 100. In rare cases, where statistical performance has been superior, it is possible for a passer to surpass a 100 rating. For example, take Steve Young's record-setting season in 1994 when he completed 324 of 461 passes for 3,969 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The four calculations would be: Percentage of Completions — 324 of 461 is 70.28 percent. Subtract 30 from the completion percentage (40.28) and multiply the result by 0.05. The result is a point rating of 2.014. Note: If the result is less than zero (Comp. Pct. less than 30.0), award zero points. If the results are greater than 2.375 (Comp. Pct. greater than 77.5), award 2.375. Average Yards Gained Per Attempt — 3,969 yards divided by 461 attempts is 8.61. Subtract three yards from yards-per-attempt (5.61) and multiply the result by 0.25. The result is 1.403. Note: If the result is less than zero (yards per attempt less than 3.0), award zero points. If the result is greater than 2.375 (yards per attempt greater than 12.5), award 2.375 points. Percentage of Touchdown Passes — 35 touchdowns in 461 attempts is 7.59 percent. Multiply the touchdown percentage by 0.2. The result is 1.518. Note: If the result is greater than 2.375 (touchdown percentage greater than 11.875), award 2.375. Percentage of Interceptions — 10 interceptions in 461 attempts is 2.17 percent. Multiply the interception percentage by 0.25 (0.542) and subtract the number from 2.375. The result is 1.833. Note: If the result is less than zero (interception percentage greater than 9.5), award zero points. The sum of the four steps is (2.014 + 1.403 + 1.518 + 1.833) 6.768. The sum is then divided by six (1.128) and multiplied by 100. In this case, the result is 112.8. This same formula can be used to determine a passer rating for any player who attempts at least one pass.

Are there any plans for the Tuesday, October 4 game against Troy ?

How ugly will it be on October 29th in front of 90K+ in Baton Rouge ? If we don't greatly improve over the next month ... OUCH !!!

There will be at least 2 of us there. I'm taking off around noon to get up there, get set up and get "primed" for our nationally televised game ! Now is NOT the time to jump ship ! We need to rally the troops and get everyone out to this game. The Athletic Dept. needs to start (since we know nothing has been done as of yet ) promoting the hell out of this game ! I still "Believe in the MEAN GREEN !"

Did you not get my earlier e-mail request ?