Responding to the fans

[mad dog]

I think it is hard to say it is getting better when we go from 4 Bowls to a 2-9 season, obviously you know more on the recruits than 90% of us on the board but the pill is pretty bitter right now.

Hope your correct on the assessment.

←

Shoot... I don't know any more about the recruits than you guys that have the MGR. But I'm talking about how different it is right now than when I first got here in 2000. Night and day, folks.

The AC alone would constitute a success for me, as we are just beginning to see the smallest tip of the iceberg on what that will bring us. Remember, it is only been up and running for a little over a year. This is the first recruiting class that will have seen it all through the process, and I think it has really helped our perception, at least when we get them on campus.

But four Sun Belt titles mean a lot to me. Downplaying my team's success is not something that I can do as a fan. If anything, I feel the need to build it up (though I try very hard not to do that on here). Those titles might not mean much to other people, but I have to ask, how many titles were you expecting to win from 2001-2004 sitting in Fouts on opening day in 2000? How many bowl games did you think we'd go to?

The standard has been raised for us. No longer is limping through a season acceptable. The result of this past season has proven this. Look at the backlash against the team, the administration, and the coaches. We expect more, and the guys who brought this to us are Coach Dickey and Rick V.

Edited January 25, 2006 by illuvius32

[Coffee and TV]

have to agree with that.  let us be realistic here, winning the sunbelt is what it is and that is not a national championship so let us not act like it was.  as for you RV i like how you shoot stright with us, but do more of it more often.  only 12 posts in 4 years is not enough info to keep us stright.  when will you really start asking for a football stadium and money from us fans?  time is short to me.

←

It is the AD's responsibility to respond to the supporters of his athletic program, however I really don't think a message board is the best place to do it. That being said I think its outstanding that he even reads this message board, and I'm more impressed that he'll knock out a Plumm-like essay.

Anyways, thanks for the free beer from Miller and Bud before football games, whoever is responsible for that.

[Verygreen]

Rick, we really appreciate all that you have done for North Texas. We also know that raising money and support has sometimes been an uphill battle. I do believe that supporting all our teams makes more of a difference than complaining.

Nothing ever improves as fast as we would like. I just get upset when those who oppose a certain coach or whose suggestions are not readily implemented, take their support away from the kids who play the game! If you were at the football banquet in 2005 and you did not support those kids at the banguet in 2006 - SHAME ON YOU! Everyone posts that the players know that you are not against them - I don't believe that it how they view the situation.

If you want better recruits and better facilities - show your support - not just talk about it.

Vicki & Brad Olson

[PlummMeanGreen]

Plumm, I have never said I am happy with the state of our football program. Check my posts, you'll see that.

My point is that every thread on this board becomes a rant by PMG with the same crap over and over again. Making claims that you have no proof of, involving back door deals, does paint a picture of you being a conspiracy theorist.

Go ahead and write your 40" reply. I'll read the first sentence, like everyone else on this board and go on with my day. Watch out PMG, they are watching you.

←

GangGreen, I don't like American Idol, so I never turn my channel to the station that broadcasts that show. I have suggested that those who don't agree with where I am coming from may not necessarily want to read even the first sentence of anything I post.

Granted, my posts are long, but I am not sending cousin Guido out there to any of you who don't read them. The only conspiracy I detect are all the Stepford Eagle type Mean Green fans who seem so content to just take all this we're getting in NT football as business as usual.

As I posted the other day, these epistles are (still) mostly intended for unseen first time lurkers from campus and beyond that I have been told in the past visit GMG.com in large abundance. By the huge number of hits I'm aware this forum receives each month, I tend to want to believe those who told me that there are (in deed) many visitors and lurkers on GMG.com. Granted, they need to read all points of view, but they also need to know that all are not happy with our current place in the mainstream of NCAA D1-A.

GangGreen, my #1 frustation with every bit of this are those who I feel have (effectively) taken a 4 decade passion of mine (and others) away from myself and other longtime fans and as for me, I am more than just a bit pissed about this.

I want to be excited about Mean Green football again (but at a higher profile). I just don't think the present coaches we have in place are the ones who will make this happen or take us to the next step; but from all the PM's and emails I've received from other NT Exes in recent weeks/months supporting almost everything I've posted, you may get a bit tense to know that (with your philosophy with this) there are many Mean Green Art Bells out there who think just like me on matters of UNT and MG Athletics.

We just don't get fooled by fluff anymore but merely look at the bottom line that our media guides show us in plain black and white, ie, the W/L records of our coaches and the number of years some of our coaches have had (but are still under .500). This is not the kind of performance or standards that many of us feel will get us a new football stadium built at UNT in our opinions. We hope we are wrong.

Of course, Mr. Big Donor could still always step forward no matter whats going on at UNT or with the W/L records of our varsity sports programs. Its just that I feel we need to show annual, continuous marked improvements for any Mr. Big Donor to want to be a partner with all this at UNT. Just my .02.......

Edited January 25, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[EagleMBA]

Glad, just want to reiterate in this forum that I have always been, and will always be, behind you and this program. Win or lose (although winning feels a helluva lot better).

[Stan R]

Thanks for the information, RV. Always enjoy reading your posts, good to get a state of the union. And yes I would attend a quarterly meeting and or a "recruits video session" similar to what we had last year. Oh yeah and my wife missed the "football 101" session at the AC w/the margarita machine but really wanted to go and would definately try to make it again this year. That was a really great idea and one I'd probably even be willing to attend.

[EagleD]

It is the AD's responsibility to respond to the supporters of his athletic program, however I really don't think a message board is the best place to do it. That being said I think its outstanding that he even reads this message board, and I'm more impressed that he'll knock out a Plumm-like essay.

Anyways, thanks for the free beer from Miller and Bud before football games, whoever is responsible for that.

←

Ditto.

[SilverEagle]

Please stop this argument.  It is tired and overused and flat out wrong. No one is content with our position, but most of us do understand that we are making progress, even if it isn't happening at the rate you'd like it to be.

Content with bottom 20?  No.  Happy with it? No.  So stop saying that. No one is satisfied with where we are.  But things are getting better.  If you can't see that, then I don't know what do say.  Keep the faith...

←

First of all, I'm not lobbying for our head coach to be fired. I'm am real sorry that he got such a long contract extension, but I don't want him fired. What I DO want, is for him to stop being so cautious, and come out with guns blazing at every game. We will never move up and have any *real progress until that happens.

I'm sorry, but if you want me to stop referring to our past success as being "king of the dip-$hits", then we had better start adding some OCC wins to our future conference championships. We went to four bowl games and won only one! Our last one was an embarrassing ass-whipping. Where in our four bowl trips, where we had three losses, do you find any sort of progress?

Since you want people to stop using certain terms and phrases, then let me suggest one for you.

I want you, to stop referring to our OCC losses as "disappointing". Our OCC losses to Florida-who? at home, and Tulsa were humiliating....not disappointing. I've watched North Texas football games for longer than you've been alive, and I've never been more embarrassed by our performance at home.....and away for that matter, than I have these last two years.

Sorry for the rant. I will continue to support my University no matter what. I just don't like people telling me that I can't use as a valid argument if I choose to engage in a debate. Especially when I know what I'm talking about.

*real is any win that the general public in the North Texas area recognizes as a valid win against a valid opponent.

Edited January 25, 2006 by SilverEagle

[UNTLifer]

when will you really start asking for a football stadium and money from us fans?  time is short to me.

←

Why does he have to personally ask?

Mean Green Club

Soaring To Victory Campaign

[Legend500]

(laughlingly) told me what he said and that was:  "I feel sorry for our opponents next season, we are going to kick their asses" (which I hope he really didn't use those exact choice of words since I understand there were several children at that FB Banquet).

←

I disagree. I really hope he said that. Exactly that. That's a critical change in attitude which I would welcome. The kids can get over it. Beat SMU, Mr. Dickey, and all will be forgiven from last year, and you can take out a second mortgage on your house.

It's 12 more than the guys at UT and A&M are giving.

←

The AD posts on the fourm, and makes it clear he values our CONSTRUCTIVE insight, and he's getting flak for it!? illuvius is right....you won't see that kind of class and concern ANYWHERE else (with a possible few exceptions) in I-A.

Shoot... I don't know any more about the recruits than you guys that have the MGR.  But I'm talking about how different it is right now than when I first got here in 2000.  Night and day, folks. 

Those titles might not mean much to other people, but I have to ask, how many titles were you expecting to win from 2001-2004 sitting in Fouts on opening day in 2000?  How many bowl games did you think we'd go to?

The standard has been raised for us.  No longer is limping through a season acceptable.  The result of this past season has proven this.  Look at the backlash against the team, the administration, and the coaches.  We expect more, and the guys who brought this to us are Coach Dickey and Rick V.

←

I've also been at NT since 2000. I was in the stands that year, and would have been overjoyed at a winning record. Bowl games? Conference champs? That didn't exist as even a concept on campus a few years ago. I may also be critical of DD, but I don't wish to denigrate how far we have come with him.

[TIgreen01]

I disagree. I really hope he said that. Exactly that.  That's a critical change in attitude which I would welcome. The kids can get over it. Beat SMU, Mr. Dickey, and all will be forgiven from last year, and you can take out a second mortgage on your house.

Not just beat them...destroy them!

[mad dog]

Silver, I'm going to phrase this as simply as I can, so there is minimal room for you to misunderstand what I'm saying. After this, I am done with this topic.

Your argument that there are people on this board who are perfectly content where we are as the pinnacle of what we might acheive for the next twenty years.

THAT... IS... NOT... THE... CASE...

We want everything you want just as badly. Don't make the mistake that we don't care about (tired-head argument number 2) OOC losses. And if you want to trade me using the word humiliating instead of disappointing for you cooling it with the "no one but me seems to care about the future of this program" argument, then that, sir, is a done deal. I accept. Now I don't want to hear any more about other fans not caring about any loss, however <i>humiliating</i> it might be.

[Eagle1855]

I thought he said he felt sorry for our opponents because he wouldnt want to play our asses... I didnt know there was any "kicking" of ass invovled.. could someone please verify the quote who was there? nevermind, its directly above my post

Edited January 25, 2006 by Eagle1855

[SilverEagle]

Silver, I'm going to phrase this as simply as I can, so there is minimal room for you to misunderstand what I'm saying.  After this, I am done with this topic.

Your argument that there are people on this board who are perfectly content where we are as the pinnacle of what we might acheive for the next twenty years.

THAT... IS... NOT... THE... CASE...

We want everything you want just as badly.  Don't make the mistake that we don't care about (tired-head argument number 2) OOC losses.  And if you want to trade me using the word humiliating instead of disappointing for you cooling it with the "no one but me seems to care about the future of this program" argument, then that, sir, is a done deal.  I accept.  Now I don't want to hear any more about other fans not caring about any loss, however <i>humiliating</i> it might be.

←

Now you think that subtleties escape me? I'm just sure you didn't mean that.

"no one but me seems to care about the future of this program"

I have never been that "Joan of Arc" in any of my postings. What would be more accurate would be "I reserve the right to say that "the King has no clothes".

Simple enough for you?

[SilverEagle]

MY RESPONSE TO AN INSULT WITH A, WELL........... A FEW MORE...

POINT/COUNTER-POINT

My  thoughts concerning your most shallow "dumb-a$$ed" statement about comparing me to Art Bell is that you are like one of those college students who apparently couldn't read (like the ex Okla. St. football player who went to the NFL and then they discoved could not read) and that you for damn sure can't (or simply won't) read your "blanekty blanked" NT Football Media Guide which would tell even a novice (which Im not sure your even at that level) would tell any "foward thinking" Mean Green football fan that this football program has been living a lie (so you really do listen to, uh, Art Bell, GangGreen?) UNT is living a lie with all this fake, veiled and disguised success of beating a bunch of SBC nobodies (most of whom were just out of 1-AA) to go 4 bowl games.  4 bowl games (of which got beat 3 out of 4 times with the last 2 losses which showed this football program was sinking even in the depths of SBC).  GangGreen,  you just seem to enjoy small time "shooting fish in the SBC barrell"  football, so I guess DD is the coach for you to enjoy for the next 8 years as he still tries to get to .500 of which his last 8 years still has him 16 games under such.  (And there even now seems to be a new tradtion at UNT of honoring such performance).

Yet you and others of you who are almost 2-faced (when it come to yalls "like DD today/didn't like him yesterday and probably won't after national signing day on February 1'st); This is all very confusing with all this love/hate for DD.  Yet some of you will just go ahead and continue to throw your good money at some terrifically bad and enjoy this SBC/Bottom 10 existence because that is all Darrell Dickey will ever be able to deliver in Denton.  NOTE:  And then there are some who won't be throwing their money away anymore until Darrell Dickey is off the NT payroll and is back in the land of Dorothy and Toto (or anywhere he damn well wants to go for that matter just so its out of Denton). I'm sure "daddy" can fix him up.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE AT UNT TO DESERVE ALL THIS IN THIS NEW MILLENIUM? 

All you still have with DD is a journeyman assistant football coach disguised as a head football coach at an NCAA D1-A school and if not for his "daddy" who knows all the right people (like, uh, all the right hiring authories at NCAA D1 schools?); anyway, if not for that "special" inside advantage," DD would still be a journeyman assistant football coach at some school(s), probably right there with his buddy. Phil Bennet,  at SMU.  Just very frustratingt how UNT would hire a totally unknown commodity who had had about 6 assistant football coaching jobs in the previous 10 years before "daddy" and Craig Helwig ((all 3 with Kansas State connections for you who seem to forget that connection) pulled off this hiring coup right under the noses of a "sleeping" Mean Green Nation.  Of course, the NT BOR's rubber-stamped all this of which it seems this group will rubber-stamp just about anything up there. Do they really ever read what the hell they are rubber-stamping?    "You All Like That?"

LET'S CALL AN ACE AN ACE AND A SPADE A SPADE HERE:  NT leadership has been terribly unsuccessful the last 2 1/2 decades in hiring athletic personel (like their hiring Dennis Parker over Dennis Franchione)? A very big........DUH with that one).  Yet GangGreen (and others who enjoy all this mediocrity) you still need proof of all this non-success when it comes to hiring personel in the NT Athletic Dept?  The proof in the pudding is still merely looking at the W/L records of all those who have been hired and their varsity teams at UNT the last 2 or so decades of which can be found in any school's media guides. 

EVEN WORSE THAN DD?  Some of the 2-faced hypocrites on this message board  are absolutely astounding (and pathetic).  I lost count the last few years of the number of people who have told me how they did not like Darrell Dicky's leadership or even his style of football.  They dissed Dickey Ball on GMG.com almost non-stop and then when he buys them a beer or even smiles at them, they just seem to forget all about his last 8 years of W/L records; they seem to forget the worst home loss in NT history vs. Tulsa; they seem to forget that we still get beat by schools whose football programs only recently opened up for business; and  never-mind that we got our heads handed to us by a school last seaason at some far away outposts in NW Lousiana that UNT should be out-recruiting even in bad years.

Yet with our "double-faced" crowd (who have been as pissed about DD's on-going radio comments as the next NT Ex) but with some of this group he has become "da' man for da' job" at UNT.  And now that we have Spring (excuse me), uh, Winter football practice coming up (BTW, hurry up DD and get that started before they pull a Dennis Parker or Matt Simon on you and fire you after they see the results of yet another SBC/Bottom 10 class on national signing day).

Yes in deedy, we have our Spring Football birds who start doing some of that "Art Bell" type stuff and suddenly think DDickey has recruited for UNT a whole covey of Parade All American football recruits and then they begin their annual Spring Football "kiss a$$" with DD like he's the 2'nd coming of Vince Lombardy (and start trying to convince other NT Exes that for sure "next season" DD will have an offense that finally breaks into the NCAA D1-A top 80 ranked offenses.  NOTE:  Did any of you get your wish about NT Offensive Coord, ie, "In The Stands of Fouts Field Debate Champion"  Ramon Flanagan BTW?  Do you think all these experts in Denton listen to anything we ever say about "OUR" school's athletic program? 

AND SUDDENLY DD CHANGES HIS PHILOSOPHY AFTER 8 YEARS?............... why did it take DD 8 freakin' years to (apparently and finally) leave behind his famous "we want to play em' close till the end" philosopy?  For him to say the following at a football banquet last Saturday has caused a few laughs and I paraphrase him from some of you who (laughlingly) told me what he said and that was:  "I feel sorry for our opponents next season, we are going to kick their asses" (which I hope he really didn't use those exact choice of words since I understand there were several children at that FB Banquet).

GangGreen, so you think Bobby Ray needs to go ahead and give DD yet another contract extension because of that most bold statement he made at the FB Banquet?  And FWIW and beggin' your pardon, but it really seems to be you who is UNT's version of Art Bell because of your accepting of one of the strangest,  unusual and wierdest college football coaching careers that I've witnessed (or even heard about) in my 40 plus years of following NCAA Divsion One football.  GangGreen, all you and a hardy handful of others need with some of your posts about being excited about all this is the Twiilight Zone theme song. 

<>*<> Anyone who would gladly accept what we are getting at UNT are the Art Bells of UNT, ie, the "accepting of just about anything dished out to them"  who have allowed all this crapola to create for them a scenario where they are the ones who have become a bit left of center and for damn sure a bit on the far side.  The truth really will set you free for you who seem to be avoiding it.

Many of us just no longer believe or trust NT leadership and the on-going Barnum and Bailey circus or charade of what they actually seem to think is a highly successful athletic program.  Anyone can follow a bad act and look good. Yet still I simply defer to media guides of every UNT varsity sports program for the gospel truth with all this and the very reasons many will no longer continue to keep our heads stuck in the sand.  That can be kind of suffocating if you do it too long and have you really doing some Art Bell style thinking for all the lack of oxygen.

GIMMEE' A FREAKIN' BREAK WITH EVEN THIS: 

And new facilties at Eagle Point (except the main one that would make a big difference in our football program coupled with new leadership and that  35-40,000 seat facility that would advance our program like no one person could eve dream of doing.  But unfortunately, that main facility have had no monies raised for it according to UNT's other AD, one, Mr. Bobby Ray).   

Someone please explain to some of us if UNT would really be able to remain in NCAA D1 and have a competitive NCAA D1-A athletic program (which we do not presently have as far as the mainstream of NCAA D1-A is concerned);  anyway, would we really be able to keep our hands in play at the D1-A table if we were not building all these facilites at the MG Athletic Village?  <>*<>*<> Come on for crissakes',  it's like those poor, unfortunate hurricane victims who have been living in tents the last few months being told: "Hey!  We are going to build you a nice frame house with indoor plumbing."  "Aren't you all lucky to have us around doing all this just for you?" 

←

Jim. (and I say this as a friend) Honest to God, I'm going to take up a collection so that you can get better drugs.........and get laid while you're at it.

[emmitt01]

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS!!!!

UNACCEPTABLE!!!!

I'm sure we all feel much better now, I know I do.

Edited January 25, 2006 by emmitt01

[soonerdon]

Jim. (and I say this as a friend)  Honest to God, I'm going to take up a collection so that you can get better drugs.........and get laid while you're at it.

←

lmao...now that's funny We could take up a collection to buy the drugs and the hooker if need be..

[eulesseagle]

PMG bashers---

You have got to agree that PMG has some good points in furthering the cause of a better FB program at UNT, like all of us......he just gets emotional about our circumstances like I and some of you do.

However.....it comes down to, what do WE expect of our coaches a) in public (radio/newspaper), during the game so we can adjust moves/countermoves, c) what are our expectations in the SBC (are we JUST satisfied with winning the SBC and no OOC games or are we satisfied with an SBC championship and winning 1/2 of our OOC games --- more or less?). There has to be some happy "gathering" point to all this madness. Since no one else has stated their expectations to keep Coach Dickey, here are mine again: win 2 OOC games, win the SBC and beat the #4 CUSA team in the N.O. Bowl. To me that is realistic. Coming in 2nd, 3rd or 4th in the SBC and getting humiliated by having teams hang 52 or more points on us is unacceptable, IMHO. Last year may have been an anomoly because of the failure to recruit the players we need and not having the coaching staff prepare for Byerly (sp) not making the grades and not getting a JC QB. Do you think that is why our coaching staff is going after more QB's this year?? I Do because they did not prepare for the reality of the situation last year.

Since none of you have put down what YOUR expectations are for a successful program, including RV, I would like for some of you to put your expectations on the line and post them!!! You have mine. What are yours???

Evidently what RV was stating, on his expectations, was that he is satisfied with winning the SBC....he did not mention anything about OOC games.

Ambiguity is nice but only causes disention because nothing specific is stated.

This is the time to get specific on your expectations on what is acceptable/unacceptable for the the success of "OUR" program.

Medical Marijuanna would not be bad for some of the posters but hookers????

[djohnnie]

I think it's great he took the time to respond to the voices of the Mean green fans. His comments show he has a vision for the program. Just give it time and we will see great things.

GMG

[SilverEagle]

Medical Marijuanna would not be bad for some of the posters but hookers????

←

I prefer the term..."stress management professionals". .....

[untgirl04]

I think RV shows discretion at not posting his exact expectations on the board. Expectations for your employees should be discussed only between the manager and the employee - not on a public forum. I think RV does have some realistic, but high expectations for NT, and I think that given time, RV will make the moves necessary to achieve his goals.

Alright EE, I'm up for your challenge. My expectations of the program are as follows:

1. Maintain a winning attitude. This does not mean that we must win every game. But I don't want to hear "We're lucky to be on the same field as X." I want to see the players enter each game with their shoulders set and eyes focused, prepared to battle for the W. And I want to see them leave the field with their heads held high, because they know, win or lose, that they gave it everything they had and represented their university well.

2. Be competitive. This goes along with the winning attitude, but I'd like to see us win at least 2 OOC games this year, and get beat by no more than 20 or so points (each game) in the "body bag games." I realize that that's ambitious, and if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen, but I do think it should be an obvious goal.

3. Reduce Penalties. I haven't crunched the numbers on this one, but I'm pretty sure NT averages 2 Unsportsmanlike calls per game. If someone would like to review the stats and prove me wrong, I encourage them to do so. However, regardless of the type of penalty, we make way too many stupid penalties. I believe this is a result of the coaches not stressing thinking before acting. I think with the graduation of T.J. Covington and Ja'mel Branch, we'll see fewer penalties - as long as they don't have any clones waiting in the wings - but I'd like to see more on-field discipline reacting to these bonehead penalties.

The above things are my major expectations for this season. I believe if DD improves each of these things, we'll do much better this season. I could even forego a SB title for significant improvement, because I think if we see these things, more titles are looming in our future.

[TIgreen01]

Since none of you have put down what YOUR expectations are for a successful program, including RV, I would like for some of you to put your expectations on the line and post them!!!  You have mine.  What are yours???

This is the time to get specific on your expectations on what is acceptable/unacceptable for the the success of "OUR" program.

←

My "expectations" for next year are somewhat tempered by the fact that we still have not seen that magic DT that can save our defense from getting run over like last season. That said, in 2006, I expect a win over SMU, a competitive game with LaTech, and at least 2nd place in the Belt. I would love to immediately jump back into the top spot in the conference, but I will certainly not expect it after what I saw last year. However, SMU is a can NOT lose game in 2006. They are in the middle of gaining steam, and we all know how the Dallas paper is more inclined to cover them than us. Winning this game will let the Dallas public (& Press) know that SMU might be picking up steam, but they are still not at our level.

[FirefightnRick]

I prefer the term..."stress management professionals". .....

←

LOL, I'll kick in my share for Jimbo.

Rick

[Nt4Life!]

Thankyou for the post! GMG! Already ready for the 2006 Football Season.

[eulesseagle]

UNTGirl---

Everyone should have some sort of defined expectations for any sport and their coaches. I have defined what mine are. Win 2 OOC games, run the belt and beat the #4 CUSA team in the N.O. Bowl.

If someone else has expectations for the team to win 2nd place in the SBC and lose 3 of 4 games by 21 pts then those are your expectations, not mine.

UNTGirl has "laid down her gauntlet" to state her position on what she thinks is acceptable for the FB program. I appreciate her candor and honesty.

Like everyone I want to see the FB program along with all the other sports programs become, not only the best in the SBC, but have national prominance. The only way to do that is to state what our expectations are!! That is not being unrealistic to any poster or anyone in the athletic/coaching staff.