Mean Green face irony of losing title

MeanGreen61 · November 21, 2005

Chuck Cox: Mean Green face irony of losing Sun Belt title to Indians

08:43 AM CST on Sunday, November 20, 2005

As Louisiana-Monroe assured itself of becoming at least one of the only Sun Belt Conference champions other than North Texas by beating the Mean Green, 24-19, the irony of UNT’s lost season hung like a cloud over Fouts Field.

Once proud owners of a 26-game conference winning streak that fell by the wayside earlier this season, UNT remained winless at home and dropped to 2-8 overall and 2-4 in the SBC on Saturday after winning every conference title since the conference’s inception in 2001. It was a fact the Indians had to have reminded the Mean Green of, considering ULM was the last team to beat UNT before its conference domination began four years ago.

ULM clinched a share of the conference title with the win, but the Indians have not yet clinched a berth in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. The Indians face Louisiana-Lafayette next week.

For UNT, the season will come to an end next Saturday when Arkansas State, which is also still in the hunt for a share of the SBC championship, comes to town.

The crazy thing is this was the year the Mean Green finally received all kinds of national attention and adulation, primarily because of the return of Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, the last two NCAA national rushing champions.

The duo made appearances in ESPN The Magazine and on the cover of USA Today, among other publications, giving head coach Darrell Dickey and the program some valuable publicity and some serious build-up to the season.

This was supposed to be the year the Mean Green were going to have perhaps the most dangerous backfield in the country and make it five straight SBC titles while running wild over their conference foes. But a nagging hamstring injury to Thomas and an offense that has struggled mightily to put points on the board all season has helped bring the Mean Green’s conference dynasty to a screeching halt.

Perhaps even more ironic is the fact Kansas State coach Bill Snyder recently announced his retirement. Dickey, who led the Wildcats to the first bowl appearance in school history as their starting quarterback in 1982, would probably love to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim, a former K-State head coach.

Had Snyder decided to retire last season, there’s little doubt Dickey would have been a prime candidate to land the job with his team collecting conference titles on a yearly basis. That’s not to say Dickey won’t be considered to take over for Snyder now, but it would have seemingly been a lot more likely to happen last year, or even the year before.

If Dickey doesn’t get the job, maybe that will be something good to come out of an otherwise forgettable season. If Dickey stays at UNT, he will get the program back on its feet. Despite the grumblings from a small group of Mean Green fans who think the program would be better off with a new coach, nothing could be farther from the truth.

It’s amazing how quickly people forget. After three tough seasons to begin his tenure at UNT, Dickey turned the program around and led it to its first bowl game since 1948. What he has accomplished as head coach of the Mean Green is nothing short of amazing.

This coming offseason will be perhaps the most intriguing ever for UNT, just one year after an offseason in which the hype and national spotlight were blinding.

And even though things didn’t turn out the way UNT would have like them to, you can bet they won’t soon forget this season. Even if it’s not for the reasons they had hoped for.

November 21, 2005

What bunch of propaganda! I would agree that changing to a coach that could be garnered in the same salary bracket would be a mistake; nothing to be gained there. They need to think outside the box. Invest in a big-time coach and staff. It will pay off. Shed those who want to preserve the status quo!

PlummMeanGreen · November 21, 2005

Chuck Cox: Mean Green face irony of losing Sun Belt title to Indians
08:43 AM CST on Sunday, November 20, 2005
As Louisiana-Monroe assured itself of becoming at least one of the only Sun Belt Conference champions other than North Texas by beating the Mean Green, 24-19, the irony of UNT’s lost season hung like a cloud over Fouts Field.
Once proud owners of a 26-game conference winning streak that fell by the wayside earlier this season, UNT remained winless at home and dropped to 2-8 overall and 2-4 in the SBC on Saturday after winning every conference title since the conference’s inception in 2001. It was a fact the Indians had to have reminded the Mean Green of, considering ULM was the last team to beat UNT before its conference domination began four years ago.
ULM clinched a share of the conference title with the win, but the Indians have not yet clinched a berth in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. The Indians face Louisiana-Lafayette next week.
For UNT, the season will come to an end next Saturday when Arkansas State, which is also still in the hunt for a share of the SBC championship, comes to town.
The crazy thing is this was the year the Mean Green finally received all kinds of national attention and adulation, primarily because of the return of Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas, the last two NCAA national rushing champions.
The duo made appearances in ESPN The Magazine and on the cover of USA Today, among other publications, giving head coach Darrell Dickey and the program some valuable publicity and some serious build-up to the season.
This was supposed to be the year the Mean Green were going to have perhaps the most dangerous backfield in the country and make it five straight SBC titles while running wild over their conference foes. But a nagging hamstring injury to Thomas and an offense that has struggled mightily to put points on the board all season has helped bring the Mean Green’s conference dynasty to a screeching halt.
Perhaps even more ironic is the fact Kansas State coach Bill Snyder recently announced his retirement. Dickey, who led the Wildcats to the first bowl appearance in school history as their starting quarterback in 1982, would probably love to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim, a former K-State head coach.
Had Snyder decided to retire last season, there’s little doubt Dickey would have been a prime candidate to land the job with his team collecting conference titles on a yearly basis. That’s not to say Dickey won’t be considered to take over for Snyder now, but it would have seemingly been a lot more likely to happen last year, or even the year before.
If Dickey doesn’t get the job, maybe that will be something good to come out of an otherwise forgettable season. If Dickey stays at UNT, he will get the program back on its feet. Despite the grumblings from a small group of Mean Green fans who think the program would be better off with a new coach, nothing could be farther from the truth.
It’s amazing how quickly people forget. After three tough seasons to begin his tenure at UNT, Dickey turned the program around and led it to its first bowl game since 1948. What he has accomplished as head coach of the Mean Green is nothing short of amazing.
This coming offseason will be perhaps the most intriguing ever for UNT, just one year after an offseason in which the hype and national spotlight were blinding.
And even though things didn’t turn out the way UNT would have like them to, you can bet they won’t soon forget this season. Even if it’s not for the reasons they had hoped for.
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And who the hell is this sports-writer Chuck Cox? What publication did this article come? How many years has he been following (closely) all that has been going on in Mean Green Country that he can make so bold a statement with one giant swath of his keyboard about what (or who) is best for NORTH TEXAS?

Does this (out of nowhere) genious know what conference we've been in the last 5 years and how many (under .500) teams we've had to beat (with an uncanny number of times the ball bounced in our direction during those 4 years to beat many of those under .500 SBC teams) in order for NT to get to New Orleans? Hey, Mr. Cox, we are not in the Big 12 down here in Mean Green Country. Are you somehow confused on that part of all this? Didn't your country cousin DD tell you about any of that part of the equation?

Is this the KSU Konnection @ Work Again? Did Cox also go to Kansas State U like Craig Helwig, Jim Dickey and others who have pushed to a job in a level of college football that is probaby one division too high for DD (at least at the position of head football coach)? And how are all these people gravitating down to Texas from the Land of Dorothy and Toto, too?

Anyone see today's article in the DMN on SMU's Phil Bennet and how an ESPN network sports person said KSU should go after Coach Bennett as their guy? Wonder if sportwriter Chuck Cox might have seen that article and wonder why an NT coach who has taken his team to 4 bowl games is toward the bottom of KSU's "seroius list" of contenders to take Bill Snyder's job? I am trying to count all the bowls SMU has gone under Bennett? Chuck Cox, do you know something longtime fans of NORTH TEXAS have completely over-looked?

Mr. Cox, do you by chance have an NT football media guide? If so, before you make your next big expert hot sports opinion on what (or who) is best for North Texas' football future, please read that media guide if you can squeeze in the time.

You say "despite the grumblings of a small group of Mean Green fans?" Have you been counting? How many of us are there? Small group? I tell you what, if you can find 1,000 NT students who like the directoin of NT football in the worst conference in the USA, I'll stop posting on this subject; but for those NT students who know anything about football, I don't think you'd find half of 1,000 who would give DD a thumbs up with his leadership in a conference that has lulled many of our NT Exes to sleeep.

NORTH TEXAS: Where Status Quo Seems To Also Be A Member of the SBC And Is Also Beating (Down) Many of Our Elect With All This Concerning the Direction of NT Football (or lack, thereof).

PS: Is there something some of us are missing with all this that has many thinking we will have a 180 degree turnaround next year even as we play our toughest 2006 SBC foes all on the road? All those SBC teams who also seem to be improving their football programs? OR..........has DD single-handedly secured our $50 milllion Big Donor and yall are just not telling?!?!?!? What is it that some of us are apparently missing with all this? Please do enlighten...

GOD BLESS TEXAS...

Edited November 21, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

SUMG · November 21, 2005

Chuck Cox: Mean Green face irony of losing Sun Belt title to Indians
"Perhaps even more ironic is the fact Kansas State coach Bill Snyder recently announced his retirement. Dickey, who led the Wildcats to the first bowl appearance in school history as their starting quarterback in 1982, would probably love to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim, a former K-State head coach.
Had Snyder decided to retire last season, there’s little doubt Dickey would have been a prime candidate to land the job with his team collecting conference titles on a yearly basis. "
My thoughts on this b.s. statement by Mr. Cox:
There is no way, that Darrell Dickey would have gotten the KSU job if Snyder had retired last year. Do you really think a Big 12 school which has had success like KSU has had....would introduce a new coach who has a career losing record? Dickey was 37-46 at the end of last year. He's now 39-54. So Dickey may hate Denton, but he can "dream on" about getting a better job....with his lousy overall record and his hideously bad OOC record.

Edited November 21, 2005 by SUMG

PlummMeanGreen · November 21, 2005

Good post, SUMG. Hope its OK that I highlighted some of your above post. btw, our new mascot name is the NT Stepford Eagles. Like in the movie, some of our fellow NT alums have been completely taken over by an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers! ! ! That movie did have a happy ending, though.
GOD BLESS TEXAS!

Coach · November 21, 2005

Chuck Cox proves wrong all the critics who believe you can't type with pom-poms in your hands.

Edited November 21, 2005 by Coach

Michael Scott · November 21, 2005

Good post, SUMG. Hope its OK that I highlighted some of your above post. btw, our new mascot name is the NT Stepford Eagles. Like in the movie, some of our fellow NT alums have been completely taken over by an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers! ! ! That movie did have a happy ending, though.
GOD BLESS TEXAS!
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I thought the original (1975) did not have a happy ending at all because everyone was assimilated and the women replaced. Wasn't that the entire point of the movie and book - an intended warning for society? (NOTE: please don't debate the point of the movie with me because I really do not care)

You must be confused with the remake that was as big a failure as this football season's been.

It's a good parallel, but I prefer the oft quoted Zoolander rant (modified for DD)

"Who cares about Darrel Dickey anyway? The man has only one play for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same play! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! "

PlummMeanGreen · November 21, 2005

I thought the original (1975) did not have a happy ending at all because everyone was assimilated and the women replaced. Wasn't that the entire point of the movie and book - an intended warning for society? (NOTE: please don't debate the point of the movie with me because I really do not care)
You must be confused with the remake that was as big a failure as this football season's been.
It's a good parallel, but I prefer the oft quoted Zoolander rant (modified for DD)
"Who cares about Darrel Dickey anyway? The man has only one play for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same play! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! "
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Funny post...

Hey, MS, one man's happy ending is another's tragic ending?

GOD BLESS TEXAS!

Michael Scott · November 21, 2005

Funny post...
Hey, MS, one man's happy ending is another's tragic ending?
GOD BLESS TEXAS!
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Should we put out a safety watch for the women in your neighborhood then?

PlummMeanGreen · November 21, 2005

Should we put out a safety watch for the women in your neighborhood then?
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Neighborhood? My neighborhood consists of quarter horses, goats and sheep! All right now, don't go there!

GabeGMG · November 21, 2005

What a horribly written article, this was in the DRC? I've read more informative and well written articles in the NT Daily

NT80 · November 21, 2005

If Dickey doesn’t get the job, maybe that will be something good to come out of an otherwise forgettable season. If Dickey stays at UNT, he will get the program back on its feet. Despite the grumblings from a small group of Mean Green fans who think the program would be better off with a new coach, nothing could be farther from the truth.
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Is this guy DD's cousin or something? I've never read so much kissing-up before. This "small group" of Mean Green fans he refers to is the only thing keeping this program viable.

Edited November 21, 2005 by NT80

KingDL1 · November 21, 2005

Is this guy DD's cousin or something? I've never read so much kissing-up before. This "small group" of Mean Green fans he refers to is the only thing keeping this program viable.
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NT80 Maybe you are part of that small group. Hummmmm?

Here is what it says about good old very heavy set Chuck Cox:

Chuck Cox writes about

high school sports for the

Denton Record-Chronicle.

He should stick to High School after reading that crap. He has no idea, unless he is just going for suck-up points with the DD staff. Or the Denton Record Chronicle considers UNT football high school quality or level.

Edited November 21, 2005 by KingDL1

NT80 · November 21, 2005

"Chuck Cox writes about

high school sports for the

Denton Record-Chronicle."

That says it all about his qualifications on the college game. As for his opinions...

OldTimer · November 21, 2005

footballscoup.com has stated in a ":scoup" that KState has already given the job to the South Florida coach. Obviously not publically or officially acknowledged until after the season ends.

SilverEagle · November 21, 2005

footballscoup.com has stated in a ":scoup" that KState has already given the job to the South Florida coach. Obviously not publically or officially acknowledged until after the season ends.
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He'll get his recruitment abilities put to a severe test now. Let's see, selling a player on playing in Florida and playing in the Big East, or selling a player on playing in Kansas in the B-12.

WTH? Why would a B-east coach who has basically built his program up from scratch, go to the plains of Kansas where it's a constant struggle to get quality players to come and play?