Is it too soon to talk about a Mason Fine Statue at Apogee?

[Mean Green Matt]

3 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

King certainly would not get in on his athletic merit, but some events are much bigger than that.

 

I'm sure this has been mentioned on this board before, but there is a fantastic (really, really fantastic) book written about this by Jeff Miller: The Game Changers: Abner Haynes, Leon King, and the Fall of Major College Football's Color Barrier in Texas.

My vote would be for both of them to be honored.

[GreenGonzo]

A big YES to Haynes and King!  Don't forget Cedrick Hardman, Brian Waters, J.T. Smith, Beasley Reece, etc.

[Salsa_Verde]

Abner Haynes before anyone else. 

[RiseUNT]

Statue no.

A 75 inch tv playing The Drive on a constant loop yes!

[cogido]

Sorry, no statue for Mason yet.  Joe Greene basically was “ all world “ and he has been the epitome of Mean Green in fan’s eyes and minds literally across the country. For now, put a gigantic action photo print of Mason on the walls of apogee.

p.s. I will NEVER understand why Abner Haynes has not been memorialized by  UNT. 

 

[outoftown]

Its a little too early, who knows maybe he is just the first in string of quality QBs (i mean, we can hope, can't we). Still the thought is not so outlandish that people need to question your sanity. Then again you are a diehard NT fan through all the decades of mediocrity and sometimes outright suckitude, so there's that.

Edited November 7, 2019 by outoftown

[UNT 90 Grad]

Maybe bobble head statue for now, see Booger Kennedy.  We need time to see how he represents the university as an alum before doing a full size statue, IMO.  
 

BTW, I fully expect Mason to represent well.

[UNTexas]

I honestly think its one of the worst ideas on here. He is good but its not like he won the Heisman or is in the NFL Hall of Fame like Joe Greene. There is simply no comparison as the two aren't in the same league and never will be.

If we really want to be honest, what big games has he won? When it really counted NT has failed while he started. He didn't win a conference title, a bowl, and probably won't even compete in a bowl as a senior. So please no. Just no.

This is the mediocre NT stuff that drives me crazy. 

Edited November 7, 2019 by UNTexas

[Cerebus]

12 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Greene is the only first team d1 All American to ever play at NT.  

First Team AP?  Yes.

Cobbs and JaMario both made the All American First Team list chosen by another prestigious American literary organization, Playboy Magazine. 

[wardly]

11 hours ago, GreenGonzo said:

A big YES to Haynes and King!  Don't forget Cedrick Hardman, Brian Waters, J.T. Smith, Beasley Reece, etc.

Other than Haynes and King, the other Black athletes you mentioned played in the 70's. While they faced racism, it was nothing like the 50's and 60's.

[wardly]

While we are talking about statues, does anyone know the cost of the Joe Green statue and how it was funded? I, along with many others, contributed a few thousand dollars to get our name inscribed on the statue, but surely that didn't cover its cost.

[CMJ]

Statues should be a generation (at least) after they played, to see if their legacy is big enough to deserve one.

 

That or if a great player tragically died while still in school from cancer or something (ala Brian's Song).

[UNTLifer]

Joe Greene: AP 1st Team All American, 1st Round Pick in the NFL Draft, 4 Super Bowl titles as a player, considered the best DT of all-time, NFL Hall of Fame, 2 Super Bowls as a coach, contributed in ways too numerous to count to North Texas.

Mason Fine: once in a generation talent.

I love the  young man, but let's be honest, he and Mr. Greene are in two different categories.

[Cr1028]

Let’s not turn the statue thing into the NT HOF where everyone who was pretty good gets in.

There should be one statue and that is Mean Joe Greene. He is regarded as the best to EVER play his position and he did it at our university. 

The only way another statue should go up is if we have a player that wins the Heisman or is a consensus all-American and top 5 NFL draft pick. Period.

[Harry]

[Pavlovs Eagle]

On 11/6/2019 at 1:07 PM, Harry said:

My thinking is it will be similar to what they did with the Mean Joe Greene statue, but on the student side.  Thoughts? 

It's going to be a long off season if we're seeing filler posts like this with 3 games to go in the 2019 season. 🙁

[jtm0097]

Ronald Reagan helped tear down the Berlin Wall (via speech) over 30 years ago, and he just got a statue. Not that this statement is relevant to UNT football.

We haven't even won the conference or a bowl game yet. Not that it's Mason fault, but you know what I am saying.

Edited November 9, 2019 by jtm0097

[Eagle71]

On 11/6/2019 at 9:02 PM, wardly said:

I am 76 and grew up in Ft. Worth during segregation. In fact, the movies and restaurants in Denton were "White Only" when I enrolled at N.T.S.U. As a freshman in 1961 I took a one hour blow off course called "Coaching in Football ". The student sitting next to me was running back A.D. Whitfield, who later played for the Washington Redskins. [ I have slept since then but I think it was the Skins]. During class one day the coach teaching the class starting talking about making rubber guns as a kid, but that's not what he called them. I glanced at Whitfield, who was stoic at this racist comment, while I wanted to crawl under the table. I don't think you guys know what Haynes and King went thru in the 50's and 60's, and I am sure Greene got a strong dose of racism even in the 70's. I have never met Abner nor Leon, but in my mind while Joe Greene was the best, Abner Haynes and Leon King were the bravest.

 

[Eagle71]

Next in line!

[Eagle71]

On 11/6/2019 at 10:03 PM, Mean Green Matt said:

I'm sure this has been mentioned on this board before, but there is a fantastic (really, really fantastic) book written about this by Jeff Miller: The Game Changers: Abner Haynes, Leon King, and the Fall of Major College Football's Color Barrier in Texas.

My vote would be for both of them to be honored.

 

[Cerebus]

So... anyone still feeling good about a post Fine world?

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

9 hours ago, Eagle71 said:

 

I have that book, and its really good

[southsideguy]

No statue yet but we need a full house to see Mason and the other seniors at the UAB game.  It is the last time we will see Mason in Green and White uniform, well maybe.  I will be there to saw goodbye to one of the all time greats at UNT.

[GrandGreen]

2 hours ago, Cerebus said:

So... anyone still feeling good about a post Fine world?

No, but if you are referring to the backup QB's; I didn't see anything all that damaging.

Bean was a trainwreck in the game, but it was a hard game to get your first semi-meaningful playing time.  He is a rpo type QB, not a pocket passer and expecting him to make those very difficult sideline throws like Fine was unrealistic.  

Bean may not be a QB, but I would not give up on him based on a game were most that wore green played horrible.  It would help the QB if NT had a few more receivers who could actually catch a ball.  If Bean is not a QB, NT could certainly use his speed at wr or cb. 

Aune looked good against an uninterested La Tech defense of subs. 

If you are referring to next year's team, after this year's fiasco|: I don't see a significant drop.   The defense should be significantly better.  The offense should be better at wr, te and stellar at RB.  The biggest question after QB will be can NT replace three ol starters.  

 

[FirefightnRick]

36 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

If Bean is not a QB, NT could certainly use his speed at wr or cb. 

 

 

Rick