Texas Monthly Writer Bashing the Program

Christopher Walker · January 12, 2016

His regular gig is as a shitty music writer. Surprised he would go anywhere near sports.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Christopher Walker

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

14 minutes ago, rcade said:

He wrote the piece because he follows UNT football, as a former student who attended games at Apogee in better times. Everything in it is factual.

You can't get people to care about the program and only have them talk about it in good times. Part of building a fan base is making people care enough to be mad when we suck.

My one quibble with the piece is that he never covered the main reason we stunk. I guess he didn't see the banner.

I get it. But like CW stated, there's no substance to it. We have sucked. Most know, but tell them anyway. But also tell them why and how we suck and tell them what we have been doing lately. Tell them about our new HC hire. Tell them about Graham Harrell. Just don't tell them WE SUCK. Like I said, I didn't read it but going off what people are saying on here that's pretty much what he said.

rcade · January 12, 2016

Just now, Ben Gooding said:

I get it. But like CW stated, there's no substance to it. ... Like I said, I didn't read it but going off what people are saying on here that's pretty much what he said.

Claiming the piece had "no substance" while admitting you didn't read it is pretty funny. Go read it, dude. It takes a couple minutes tops, and you can drink beer and watch Clemson/Alabama at the same time. That's what I did. Go, Non-Nick Saban Team! Go!

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

1 minute ago, rcade said:

Claiming the piece had "no substance" while admitting you didn't read it is pretty funny. Go read it, dude. It takes a couple minutes tops, and you can drink beer and watch Clemson/Alabama at the same time. That's what I did. Go, Non-Nick Saban Team! Go!

I don't have to read it to claim it.

Yes, GO WHOEVER PLAYS SABAN/ALABAMA. I wish nothing but bad things on both. A bunch of narcissists playing for a micromanager freak. It's the easiest team to root against I have ever seen. Easier than the 90's/00's yankees, easier than the Lakers, easier than the USC dynasty, easier than the Heat with Lebron James.

TheReal_jayD · January 12, 2016

It's bad enough we have our own beat writer beating us down we don't need any help. I know he is just stating the obvious but crap quit beating the dead horse we get it. Northe Texas beat down writer is more like it.

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

Brett Vito needs to do that 4 letter aconym that I am condemned of saying on here. Seriously. Beat writers are on board for support. Ours is just a typical UNT affiliate, there for a check. And yes, I know he's with the chronicle. Given his job description, same difference.

Christopher Walker · January 12, 2016

9 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

I get it. But like CW stated, there's no substance to it. We have sucked. Most know, but tell them anyway. But also tell them why and how we suck and tell them what we have been doing lately. Tell them about our new HC hire. Tell them about Graham Harrell. Just don't tell them WE SUCK. Like I said, I didn't read it but going off what people are saying on here that's pretty much what he said.

Hey, quit putting words in my mouth; I didn't say that.

There's certainly plenty of substance in that article, just not much by way of context.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Christopher Walker

FirefightnRick · January 12, 2016

Gosh, doesn't this guy know your suppose to compliment in public and criticize in private?

Rick

oldguystudent · January 12, 2016

10 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

His regular gig is as a shitty music writer. Surprised he would go anywhere near sports.

How do I get a gig as a shitty music writer? Surely I could write as poorly for the unwashed musical masses as he must.

rcade · January 12, 2016

9 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

Beat writers are on board for support.

Cheerleaders are on board for support. Beat writers are there to cover the team, good and bad. If all you want is PR stick to meangreensports.com and don't read the media.

UNT90 · January 12, 2016

12 hours ago, southsideguy said:

they are not going to fire him but i doubt they will renew his contract. We all know how you feel about this situation. Breathe in breathe out and move on.

I'll move on when RV moves on or I walk away from the S show all together.

Until then...

12 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

Didn't read it. He shouldn't have written it. Anyone who follows college athletics understands where we currently sit. We do not need one of our own pushing our face deeper into the mud. We get it. We suck. No one above the fans care. Hopefully that changes. It's like a never ending drama play.

Many of our own fans don't even care.

RushnStudies · January 12, 2016

12 hours ago, UNT90 said:

I don't know RV. I think that his job performance has absolutely sucked hairy horse balls and the only reason he isn't removed is because his friends protect him.

He could be a really great guy, otherwise. But I don't care about that. Because I don't know him. And only want him to do his job, which he has shown he isn't capable of performing. So I want him to leave, good guy or not.

Get it?

One friend... looks like just one friend. EK and the President are the only people I see (willingly?) sitting near him at basketball games.

UNT90 · January 12, 2016

11 hours ago, rcade said:

He wrote the piece because he follows UNT football, as a former student who attended games at Apogee in better times. Everything in it is factual.

You can't get people to care about the program and only have them talk about it in good times. Part of building a fan base is making people care enough to be mad when we suck.

My one quibble with the piece is that he never covered the main reason we stunk. I guess he didn't see the banner.

Yes, I wish something would have been in there about RV's dismal, pathetic, terrible, horrible record in revenue sports over the last 10 years and then the banner, but I'm sure he was working with limited space.

Good article. Spot on. If the author reads this, ignore the crybabies that only want good things published about UNT. They would be perfectly OK with average, which they consider success.

Thank you for the UNT publicity. Sure would like to see a piece on the failure of Rick Villarreal as an AD.

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

12 minutes ago, rcade said:

Cheerleaders are on board for support. Beat writers are there to cover the team, good and bad. If all you want is PR stick to meangreensports.com and don't read the media.

Yes, they are here to cover the team. They are not here to rub our faces in the shit via social media. If he had attached a story to that tweet then so be it, but he was just grabbing our necks and forcing our faces into our own shit. Beat writers elsewhere never do that, never.

VideoEagle · January 12, 2016

Guys, we went 1-11 in 2015. This isn't the first "NT had a terrible year and is down" article and it won't be the last.

2 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Yes, they are here to cover the team. They are not here to rub our faces in the shit via social media. If he had attached a story to that tweet then so be it, but he was just grabbing our necks and forcing our faces into our own shit. Beat writers elsewhere never do that, never.

I'm guessing you don't read much team sports reporting. Check out posts and social media from Cowboys beat writers, UT beat writers, A&M beat writers and OU beat writers (when they have a down year!) And if you want to see some real "rub your face in it," check out the NY Post writers about NYC teams!

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

2 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

Guys, we went 1-11 in 2015. This isn't the first "NT had a terrible year and is down" article and it won't be the last.

I'm guessing you don't read much team sports reporting. Check out posts and social media from Cowboys beat writers, UT beat writers, A&M beat writers and OU beat writers (when they have a down year!) And if you want to see some real "rub your face in it," check out the NY Post writers about NYC teams!

Again, his tweet was not reporting. Like I said, if it had been a write up or an article then it's nothing to even mention other than him doing his job. When he takes to social media just posting degrading tweets not only about the university, but the conference then that is a problem.

UNTFan23 · January 12, 2016

7 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Again, his tweet was not reporting. Like I said, if it had been a write up or an article then it's nothing to even mention other than him doing his job. When he takes to social media just posting degrading tweets not only about the university, but the conference then that is a problem.

So you don't agree that the Big 12 is better than CUSA and that UNT has been to fewer bowls over a longer period of time compared to Texas Tech?

VideoEagle · January 12, 2016

6 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Again, his tweet was not reporting. Like I said, if it had been a write up or an article then it's nothing to even mention other than him doing his job. When he takes to social media just posting degrading tweets not only about the university, but the conference then that is a problem.

Yes, it is not reporting. It is posting thoughts on social media. Beat reporters do that as it builds credibility. And it especially builds credibility to point out problems and flaws with the team(s) they cover and even more so when those team(s) have a down year. It is NOT a problem, it's doing what they are SUPPOSED to do.

UNT90 · January 12, 2016

3 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Again, his tweet was not reporting. Like I said, if it had been a write up or an article then it's nothing to even mention other than him doing his job. When he takes to social media just posting degrading tweets not only about the university, but the conference then that is a problem.

It was reporting. It's letting an otherwise blinded fan base and completely blinded big donor base know how others perceive us.

You may not like it, Ben, but this is actually very good for UNT. In years past, statewide publications would have ignored UNT's performance as par for the course. Here you have an obvious alumni fan pointing out a disappointing failure in athletics, and some people want to BBQ the kid when they should be thanking him.

Only at North Texas.

UNT90 · January 12, 2016

13 hours ago, UNTcrazy727 said:

Why do you want Littrell to fail?

Because RV was involved in the hiring process? Because you'd rather boast about how you were right than UNT actually being successful under RV?

Either way, you're a sorry SOB

I think the sorry SOB is the person calling someone else they don't know a sorry SOB.

And of course I don't want Littrell to fail, but that doesn't mean I can't look at the situation objectively and see that his chance of success is very small, especially with the AD in place which with he will have to deal.

People like you are in the insane afterglow of a new coaching hire and want to pretend that the biggest problem with this program isn't still in play. Well, sorry, he is. When UNT is 1-6 next year, I suspect I will be the voice of moderation against your fire Littrell rant. We shall see.

Try to be a little more tolerant of opposing opinions and not be such a sorry SOB in the future.

Edited January 12, 2016 by UNT90

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

25 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

It was reporting. It's letting an otherwise blinded fan base and completely blinded big donor base know how others perceive us.

You may not like it, Ben, but this is actually very good for UNT. In years past, statewide publications would have ignored UNT's performance as par for the course. Here you have an obvious alumni fan pointing out a disappointing failure in athletics, and some people want to BBQ the kid when they should be thanking him.

Only at North Texas.

I am referring to Vito. Not the kid.

UNT90 · January 12, 2016

Just now, Ben Gooding said:

I am referring to Vito. Not the kid.

And again, Vito is doing UNT fans a favor by bringing this to our attention. Unless you just want to ignore the perception of UNT except for the perception on this board, which is just plain silliness.

Vito. Is simply doing his job, and I thank him for it.

Ben Gooding · January 12, 2016

2 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

And again, Vito is doing UNT fans a favor by bringing this to our attention. Unless you just want to ignore the perception of UNT except for the perception on this board, which is just plain silliness.

Vito. Is simply doing his job, and I thank him for it.

Meh. He's not doing his job. If that was doing his job then the write for the Texas monthly and Vito could switch jobs. Screaming we suck to the world does nothing. That is, uh, something everyone already knows. If he wants to scream we suck it needs to be echoed with why we suck and what we are trying to do to fix the suck.

Travis · January 12, 2016

10 hours ago, TheReal_jayD said:

It's bad enough we have our own beat writer beating us down we don't need any help. I know he is just stating the obvious but crap quit beating the dead horse we get it. Northe Texas beat down writer is more like it.

We all know that the Big 12 is better than CUSA. My only point is that I am not so sure we will see the current Tech coach in there longer than a year, maybe two. They aren't a serious contender, they were sandwiched between and oft' poor West Virginia (who did one better than Tech) and a really bad Texas team. He has a 19-19 record; and placed 6 out of 10 teams. He gets to play pansies like SFA, Sam Houston, UTEP, SMU, Iowa State, and Kansas every year to help him be mediocre. He gets paid 3.1 million a year for that.

TTU90 is pissed. Yes. I keep the bit going.

So one would have to weigh the options.... if you are an assistant coach who could be searching for a job in a year or so or if you are an assistant coach who would likely be around another 5 years.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Travis

UNT90 · January 12, 2016

1 minute ago, Ben Gooding said:

Meh. He's not doing his job. If that was doing his job then the write for the Texas monthly and Vito could switch jobs. Screaming we suck to the world does nothing. That is, uh, something everyone already knows. If he wants to scream we suck it needs to be echoed with why we suck and what we are trying to do to fix the suck.

Well, RV is still here, so we aren't doing anything to fix the suck. And I think that article is a perfect illustration of that.