SCREAMING EAGLE-66

---Smart man (to decline), personally I would consider you fourth generation Texan since your great-grandfather apparently died in Texas. The KKK was more active in the eastern part of state and not so much in the western (frontier) part. ---My father's side were German immigrants but on my mother's side, her mother's family came from the Confederacy and her father's family came from the California Gold Rush (49er). They settled on land that was part of the Chisolm trail....You could still a little evidence of it when I was a kid. Doesn't really sound like I am a yankee from NYC, does it. LOL

---Sorry, afraid not, my family showed up on the Texas Frontier in the 1870's, even one member was scalped by Indians. Some members were even denied the right to vote by the Republican reconstruction in Texas. My Grandfather lost a lot of Texas land due the Republican economic and banking policies during the 20's which caused the Depression. I am not quite a Yellow-Dog Democrat but getting a lot closer due the the policies regarding schools by the present GOP-led legislature at the moment. The GOP in the past have been the RATS ( the polite term you used ) and seem to be getting there again. ---Are you a 5th generation Texan as I am ??? and are you enjoying all the tuition increases and educational policies we have had as a result of the past two GOP-led regular sessions. They passed no school budget (a first in Texas) which caused many schools to open without needed supplies. I seem to remember them approving a Law School for North Texas and then not funding it. Yep, they are really great guys (Delay et. al.) --and that is why Stayhorn has left the party.

Religion has probably caused more wars (and stupid arguments) and caused more people to die than any other reason in history. Even this Iraq war has religion as a big issue. Second on the list is probably racism which was started here by the first post on this thread by -Emmitt- but don't think any group has a monopoly on that issue. Ever see the movie "Hotel Rowanda" ???? I hope this thread now dies.

---The band kids have not been on campus much lately [ Christmas ]. I am amazed they did that well.. Any tribute to Michael Jackson is horrible, especially grabbing their crouch, which part of the USC band did. No class..

--I find that very offensive. I am a Democrat. I and the rest of us do support this state. For over 100 years Democrats held every office in this state and the state did pretty well. Until the Democrats passed the civil rights acts, the GOP could not win any offices in the state. Much of the south then converted to the GOP as as result. I have one word to say ---Delay. We are not pagan-gay-socialists despite how Pat Robertson and some of them want to paint us. I suppose Carter is not considered Christian. Learn the truth. Our conservative GOP has not had ONE balanced federal budget since 1980, The Clinton years balanced it 6 of 8 times, actually had a surplus if you remember. . Again learn the truth....... The current group in Austin can't even pass a school budget and schools are hurting and college tuition is skyrocketing because of their inemptness. I am in education. ---I take great Pride in a comment Will Rodgers made when asked which political party he was a member of. His Response--- "I am not a member of an organized party, I am a Democrat"........ to me meaning that it is a very diverse group that cares about people. Enough politics... learn the truth and don't just take some idiots word as true.

Polls........ hahahaha!!

---I am afraid that Houston doesn't want to hear criticism from their fans and will not trade. .... Personally I think is is far the smartest thing to do. Vince and Bush will not change the Texans much or turn them around..... Better lineman might... Carr does make bad throws some times but he often has little time to throw. I do agree that at times he holds on to the ball too long. Maybe his habits would change if he had dependable protection.

Why the UT hate????? I don't hate people just because they are successful, I actually admire success as long as it is done honestly [unlike what SMU did]. Mentioning the Klan is completely out of line. I doubt anyone on board this supports that group of idiots. Most of the people that support that group are severely uneducated morons that feel threatened by others. They aren't on a college football board. Why that comparison???? Racism by any group has no business being posted here in todays world. Lighten up. Besides there are racists in every group.... usually the totally stupid ones.

---I am very aware of him..... He was a scrambling QB, and very good one, but he always thought --throw first..... not run. He threw for 47,000 yards (#5 all-time on the total yard list) and is a member of the NFL hall of fame. He also threw for 342 TDs which is third on the all-time list behind Marino and Favre. He was rather small and short for a QB and was in no way a running QB, he just ran when he had to and was good at scrambling around and could throw on the run..... Because of his size he used a lot of rollouts and he often threw underhanded and even backhanded when lineman had their hands high in the air. He was fun to watch as a Viking and at NY. He is even #7 on the completions list. ---He is not really considered a running QB, just one who scrambled to get away and usually threw after escaping. He is likely the best scrambling QB of all time, he drove defenses crazy and left defensive lineman bent over sucking wind. Running by the QB to make yards was never a big part of his teams plan, as small as he was, the defenses would have killed him.... ---There are no similiarities between Fran and Vince except both play QB. Vince runs for yards, Fran ran to escape and then throw although he did make a lot of yards running at times, but not on purpose.

---I support replays, especially on possible scoring plays or possible turnovers. Both of those two situations have huge effects on game results. ---Having said that... replay officials in the USC/UT game were terrible. I didn't think they were biased ... just terrible. The officials on the field missed a few but they have to make extremely quick decisions.... the replay officials stunk and should return their salery since they did nothing good.

---Any Media attention????? SMU got a lot of media attention during the mid 80's.... didn't help them much. Little Big-Horn did not help the U.S. Army much either. I suppose you could be right.... after all, who would remember Pres. Garfield if he had not been killed....... but is that how we really want to be remembered, we got killed.!!! ---Did it do Sam Houston State a lot of good to lose to Tech by 21-80.???

--- It will be ugly but it will be less ugly if Vince goes to the NFL. College teams obviously can't handle him. Without him Texas will have a new QB and likely one that can't run that well either. --- Personally I can't see why he would stay. I can't imagine his NFL appeal being any better after next year. Take the money and run. I still don't see him being a super-successful NFL QB against the size, speed, and those well trained defenses that do nothing (unlike college students) but study football, for years.

---If Vince is available this year, he will not still be on the board at pick 18 which is the Cowboy's position. Dallas will not trade up to get him. Vince to me is an unusual player and a total "Crapshoot' as a QB. Parcell would never want him, not his style. The defensive players in the NFL are much faster and better trained than in the NCAA. Vince is likely better than Vick but how well as Atlanta with Vick really done against GOOD NFL teams... they failed to make the playoffs this year. Running QBs do not do all that well in the NFL , the best ones have all been the drop back and throw types like Brady, Aikman, Montana, Young, and Manning although there have several like Favre and Staubach that could scramble and throw..... even then none of the great or successful QBs have ever been running (not just scrambling) QBs. --- A lot of great college players fail in the NFL and a lot of great NFL QBs weren't that great in college because of the talent that surrounded them and offensive style that was played there. Vince will be interesting in the NFL especially to a team with medocre receivers [like Atlanta] who uses a tight end more than anyone else. The Atlanta TE (Crumpler) is used so much because he is the closest when Vick figures out he can't run and can't find anyone else while running around.

---Jackson graduated from Washington State (looked it up last night on internet) after a few of his seemingly pro SoCal remarks). I have always thought that he favored Big-Ten and Pac-Ten schools. He apparently grew up very poor in Georgia from what I read which explains his "accent". For years, I have thought he did not care much for the SWC or Big-XII area colleges. --"Little Ol Texans" does sound a bit deep Southern, he could have been refering to female cheerleaders or whatever on sideline. I didn't notice the remark. He is even older than I am and at the time I was in college one could argue that the Pac-10 and Big-10 had better football programs ---after all, the South's best black players were not permitted to play in the ACC, SEC or SWC. Most went to the Pac-10 or Big-10 or played in the conference that Gramling that was a member. The Missouri Valley Conf. including North Texas did play black athletes however. Kentucky absolutely would not play Louisville in basketball except in NCAA tournament play. Now, the "they are better" than Southern conferences argument has no merit like it did then. Rarely would the SWC , ACC, or SEC play schools that were integrated-- although the SWC did play some Big -8 schools some after they had begun integration. Even as late as 1968 when I was a grad student at Tech, TTU had only about 60 black students (15,000 enrollment then) and most of those 60 were grad students and not American citizens. Tech had no black athletes until 1970 or 71 (a Lubbock local) and UT was even later than that. ---The world has changed a lot in my 60 years, in attitudes and in technology. I even lived in a house as a small child that had no electricity, gas, or butane....and we weren't poor-----we completely owned the ranch/farm that I lived on. Most rural people in the western half of the state did not have electricity until after WWII and depression ended. In case you think I am an angry black , forget that, I am the great-grandson of German immigrants to Texas in the 1870's. I am just telling it like it was.

The final two games this year were outstanding, close and interesting. The BCIS was not a side issue this year. I can't imagine any real Texan* cheering for USC over Texas. Texas not be my favorite school but state pride figures into this one plus many of my mis-guided friends went there. I always support for Texas teams** [except SMU] and I expect them to support us as well. * My entire family has been Texans since 1870's. **an exception may be against a Belt-team.

Anything but a body-bag game [ie not Tech, OU, LSU, etc]... I would like a team based in Texas or if not, CUSA. NMSU would be ok. We have played Texas State 39 times and New Mexico State 33 times. We have a long history with those two teams. They are the two universities we have played the most often. I expect Texas State to eventually be a I-A team.

Houston has first pick... ----Doubt that Houston will but in my opinion I think they should trade off their #1 pick for a bunch of picks or good active players. . Carr and Dominic Davis are adequate.... if they actually had a good offensive line that they would give them time to throw or holes to run through. Adding Vince or Bush will not turn that program around.... they have more need for linemen and some defenseive help. NO will likely pick a QB and the Jets need a RB to replace Martin. Who knows about therir QB situation, Pennington back or not. GB doesn't want a QB 9used first rd last year for one) and SF wants a RB (they picked a QB 1st Rd as well.. ---NO now is also replacing a coach, so is Green Bay and the Jets may be too. Who knows what will happen in those places. As far as goes so is Houston. ---I don't really expect it but Houston should trade their pick to someone in the top 10 "pickers" and get extra picks in later rounds or an addition first round next year. Arizona (#10) is really needing an RB and may be willed to give up several picks since their QB and WR situation is very good. [Fitzgerald and Boldin with Warner and McCown as QBs]. ---Example: we (UNT) had two outstandng RBs and some repectable receivers but we did not win because the linemen did not produce holes or give the QB time to throw. Since the offence could not maintain drives the defense just wore out eventually which made it look even worse that it really was. ---Back to the question, Vince, Bush or Leinart....each team needs to look at what they have and what they need. If a team has a lot of good receivers, Leinart, if not Vince. Bush if the RB situation is bad at this time. Not a simple question or answer. ---------- I suppose you realize we play the national Champion, Texas, next. Hope Vince goes pro.

----The roads are pretty bad but you have to remember it is an very old town ...and has a lot of old roads... Most were not designed for the population there now. The newly build places (last 30 years or so, Frisco, Carrolton, Plano, Richardson) do have much better roads (or should). ---The roads and steets are better now than they were when I was a student there in the 60's. [ the Campus paper used to comment about how bad they were on shock absorbers and cars in general ] Denton could actually use a lot of long term planning instead of just meeting the immediate needs.

---Turning a basketball around is much easier than turning a football program around. A BB team only plays 5 players at a time and most of the playing time is done with 7-8 players... Football uses 22 or more. Get two outstanding BB players and you are a big problem to deal with.... opponents can't double team two players. --- Raiding good Junior College problems make sense as well. Midand College (where I work) sent players to Houston, Gonzaga, and a couple more I-A programs last year. A lot of JC colleges could defeat I-A programs... athletes here fall into three groups, ---overlooked by I-A programs (Spud Webb later of North Carolina State and NBA, is our great example)------ Can't make SAT scored need for freshman (Larry Johnson later at UNLV and NBA) ---- and last they may be good students but not quite I-A talent. In the 1980's we once had three future NBA players on campus at the same time.... Spud Webb (Dallas), Mookie Blaylock, and Rickey Grace. None of them were outlaw types... they were good kids. About 1980, Indiana State, made the NCAA finals with Larry Bird.... they had very little else. One super star on a football team can do very little. Not true in basketball. ------Last comment... when OU played Larry Brown's Kansas team for the National NCAA Championship back in the 80's....3 of the starting 10 players were MC grads.. Tech had one grad that year and Arizona who was eliminated late had the other of MC's starting five. The point.. better take a good look at JC players, they have a lot of good playing time and many of them are very good and are alot more mature

---The bigger problem seemed to be that the QB had very little time to find recievers and throw (ie. can't even try passing much). Everyone notices the QB when he is good or bad but his success is very tied to how well his line plays. The offensive line never gets the credit or blame they truly deserve. Peyton Manning would not look all that great either if he had the Houston Texan offensive line. ---You can have a good QB and great recievers but if the QB is getting tackled almost immediately, you can't even attempt passing plays.

If you schedule a I-AA, that is exactly what you better do, win... If you lose and you really look bad. Other than perhaps Texas State (who will eventually become I-AA in my opinion) stay away from them. We need I-A games to improve our image with the media and in sports fans "minds". Doubt that many know this but Texas State is the college that we have played the most games with.....39 games..............29 wins, 7 loses and 3 ties. We have played NMSU 33 times. The only teams that we have defeated 20 or more times is Texas State (29) , S.F. Austin (22), and NMSU (22). The only team we have lost 20 or more games to is SMU (27).

I thought TSU was Tarleton State University... They also use TSU. ..Then there is TWU... Texas Wesleyan University or Texas Womens University. I don't that is really an barrior to using TSU.

---A lot of us at North Texas during the 60's and 70's did not want the name "Texas State". What usually happened is that inside of every state is that that college is often just refered to as "State". ---I was also a grad student (TA) at Texas Tech for a year and the name was being discussed there also... The Alums there did not want the "Texas State" name either. The result there was the official name Texas Tech University... instead of the Texas Technological College. A&M now stands for nothing either... just A&M. They did not want the name either... Oklahoma A&M, Kansas A&M, New Mexico A&M and others went to State name. Texas Aggies did not want it. Most even changed the mascot from Aggies (Cowboys etc) but NMSU did not. ---This State is large enough for us to use the North Texas name.... maybe not if we were in Conn, Rhode Island or some of those.

---Some of us live 100's of miles away., so #1 makes no sense, some of love football and not basketball, and last... It is Saturday night...... surely there is something better to do than sit in front of computer (wife ill tonight, skipped a Xmas party, so here I am).

---Stay away from the WAC.... travel expense will kill us and there are no close rivals except LaTech. CUSA is our best hope..... close opponents and therefore better media interest.... and less expensive travel.....We play sports besides football that would eat us alive in travel expenses. Besides I don't think it is much if any better anyway.