Andrew Smith Practice Field

[greenjoe]

I had an idea and I shared it with RV last night at the NT-Denver game.

It's my understanding that DD and Mattress Mac have asked for the practice field that was to be named for each of them, one at a time, now to be named for Andrew Smith. I really like this idea. But I was trying to think of something other than a sign or a paragraph in the gameday program to tell people who Andrew was.

My idea is to stripe the field as usual, but instead of the usual "10", "20", "30", and so on, to start the numbers with "12". No ten yard numbers, the number twelve. So that forever, when anyone asks why there is no ten yard line, someone can tell them about Andrew Smith and the contribution he made to NT football during his all too brief time here.

RV said he liked the idea. What do you, the Mean Green Nation think ? If I had any talent as to graphics I would post the image that I have in my head. Perhaps someone here can help me out.

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[Smitty]

I love this idea, greenjoe. Very fitting, and a good way for every player and coach who comes through here in the future to remember Andrew. That's brilliant, and thanks for saying something to RV.

Is this what you had in mind?

Edited December 31, 2006 by Smitty

[ParksAndRecRick]

Very Nice Idea. Congrats!!!

ParksAndRecRick

[greenjoe]

That's it, Smitty. I hadn't thought of the end zone graphics but I like what you did. Is the practice field 100 yards ? I thought it was only 50.

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Edited December 31, 2006 by greenjoe

[emmitt01]

That's it, Smitty. I hadn't thought of the end zone graphics but I like what you did. Is the practice field 100 yards ? I thought it was only 50. Anyway thanks for looking inside my head. Scarry ain't it ?

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It's also scary.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---This comment may not be accepted well here but.. didn't he die as the result of illegal drug use???

[MeanGreenBuzz]

---This comment may not be accepted well here but.. didn't he die as the result of illegal drug use???

I believe he fell asleep at the wheel returning to campus late at night from Waco. I don't think they ever implicated the marijuana in his death. He was however legally drunk. None of which should matter. He was a good kid, a good athlete and represented us well on and off the field no matter the marijuana/alcohol in relation to his death. When your young sometimes you make bad decisions. I am not justifying or making excuses for his actions, but I am saying they should have no effect on how he should be remembered in years to come. When someone dies you shouldn't remember the bad decisions they made but the good and the positive changes they made in the world.

Edited December 31, 2006 by MeanGreenBuzz

[shaft]

Um... Yeah they did & shouldn't your practice facilities mirror your gameday conditions. Maybe also include a 12-yard maker but don't replace the 10 yard maker.

[MeanGreen61]

---This comment may not be accepted well here but.. didn't he die as the result of illegal drug use???

You're right it isn't............The young man died in a tragic auto accident.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

You're right it isn't............The young man died in a tragic auto accident.

Agree with the car accident but there is more to it ---as the result of being in College Station with his buddies earlier that night and doing what... (so his friends said and medical report said) ???

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=18...&type=story

Edited December 31, 2006 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[MeanGreenBuzz]

Agree with the car accident but there is more to it ---as the result of being in College Station with his buddies earlier that night and doing what... (so his friends said and medical report said) ???

Yeah, he made a stupid decision and it cost him his life. Let it go. Remember the good not the bad.

[mad dog]

The toxicology report from the autopsy confirmed the presence of marijuana in his system at the time of death. He was also legally intoxicated. That doesn't make it any less tragic, though. He was a heck of a quarterback and a really good person, and the circumstances really don't take anything away from the human being he was.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Yeah, he made a stupid decision and it cost him his life. Let it go. Remember the good not the bad.

---I am not trashing him at all but I don't think it is a great idea to name something after him.... We have all done stupid things...but it seems inappropiate to name some major item after him knowing the history of his unfortunate death.

[emmitt01]

Agree with the car accident but there is more to it ---as the result of being in College Station with his buddies earlier that night and doing what... (so his friends said and medical report said) ???

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=18...&type=story

Just what do you hope to prove or gain with this? He was a flawed human being, aren't we all. Let's just try to keep in mind that it is a tragedy when ANY young person loses their life too early. Nothing is gained by harping on what they did or didn't do to contribute to their demise. Everything is gained by remembering them and letting future generations of Mean Green players and fans learn from their lives.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Just what do you hope to prove or gain with this? He was a flawed human being, aren't we all. Let's just try to keep in mind that it is a tragedy when ANY young person loses their life too early. Nothing is gained by harping on what they did or didn't do to contribute to their demise. Everything is gained by remembering them and letting future generations of Mean Green players and fans learn from their lives.

Read the above statement by me .......

Edited January 1, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[MeanGreen61]

---I am not trashing him at all but I don't think it is a great idea to name something after him.... We have all done stupid things...but it seems inappropiate to name some major item after him knowing the history of his unfortunate death.

If it's not trashing him, why did you bring it up ? You seem to overlook the accomplishments the young man had and elect to dwell on a youthful mistake that he paid dearly for. Some people can take a positive thread that was started because of a positive idea and try to turn it into muck. Save us from holier-than-thou attitudes.

Edited January 1, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[UNTFan23]

---This comment may not be accepted well here but.. didn't he die as the result of illegal drug use???

Please tell me you're not one of the people that think DD is HOF worthy.

Edited January 1, 2007 by UNTFan23

[JayDub]

Andrew didn't do anything that several of us haven't done in our lives at that age. Or possibly more recently. Doesn't excuse it at all, but still...

Either way...bringing it up doesn't solve a damn thing. Let's just leave it alone.

Edited January 1, 2007 by JayDub

[FirefightnRick]

Great idea greenjoe.

Rick

[LittleMeanGreenMan]

I think it is a good idea too. Either way, he was a respected athlete here that loved and was honored to be a part of North Texas.

[FirefightnRick]

By the way. In honoring Andrew's accomplishments on the field for the Mean Green, when I re-re-built "Boomer" the Cannon I included 12 Brass screws within one region of the carriage. The remainder of Boomer's equipment contains only steel implements.

Rick

[JayDub]

By the way. In honoring Andrew's accomplishments on the field for the Mean Green, when I re-re-built "Boomer" the Cannon I included 12 Brass screws within one region of the carriage. The remainder of Boomer's equipment contains only steel implements.

Rick

Did not know that...that's awesome, Rick.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

By the way. In honoring Andrew's accomplishments on the field for the Mean Green, when I re-re-built "Boomer" the Cannon I included 12 Brass screws within one region of the carriage. The remainder of Boomer's equipment contains only steel implements.

Rick

Yeah, thats really cool.

[gksmith]

The 12 Brass Screws will need to be advertised somewhere so people will know.

I don't recall. These fields are artificial? As for field graphics, I would put the whole name "Andrew Smith" in the end zones. The "12 instead of the 10" would be pretty confusing. Maybe put a circular "Andrew Smith" with "12" in the middle would look good too.

Not to crap on someone else’s ideas or anything.

[MeanGreenZen]

By all accounts Andrew Smith was a great young man. There are a lot of great young men and women affiliated with the UNT football program. So why would we honor Andrew by naming the field after him? Because he died while he was still a big part of the UNT program. Why did he die? Because he made a tragic mistake and drove a car while under the influence. That doesn't make him a bad person, but it does make it inappropriate to name the practice field after him. Naming the practice field after Smith is disrespectful to everyone who has been a victim of drunken driving and their families.