Rumors Laid To Rest Via Hank Dickeson

[MeanGreengdub]

I had the pleasure of Deputy Athletic Director Hank Dickenson visiting my Sports Administration class. First of all, this guy will make you proud to be apart of the Mean Green.

So for the rumors I can lay to rest...

He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand.

Secondly, I asked him about the football jerseys and the look since Dodge is under contract with Under Armour and he said he doesn't know what it will look like but he said to expect a new look with the jerseys being Under Armour.

Third, a question was asked about how long his contract is for and how long he will be here and, like we know it's 5 years, but he said I can see us talking about a contract extension after game 6 of the season.

Lastly, the not so good news. I asked him about the baseball program and as much as he wants it and we need it he said he doesn't see it happening until another 5 years or at least until after the new stadium is built.

I've got some more stuff later including a crazy story about Coach Dodge that I had never heard and maybe some of you hadn't either so I'll get back. Does anyone know if Hank is on this board? I guess I should have asked him but I didn't.

[Legal Eagle]

I had the pleasure of Deputy Athletic Director Hank Dickenson visiting my Sports Administration class. First of all, this guy will make you proud to be apart of the Mean Green.

So for the rumors I can lay to rest...

He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand.

Secondly, I asked him about the football jerseys and the look since Dodge is under contract with Under Armour and he said he doesn't know what it will look like but he said to expect a new look with the jerseys being Under Armour.

Third, a question was asked about how long his contract is for and how long he will be here and, like we know it's 5 years, but he said I can see us talking about a contract extension after game 6 of the season.

Lastly, the not so good news. I asked him about the baseball program and as much as he wants it and we need it he said he doesn't see it happening until another 5 years or at least until after the new stadium is built.

I've got some more stuff later including a crazy story about Coach Dodge that I had never heard and maybe some of you hadn't either so I'll get back. Does anyone know if Hank is on this board? I guess I should have asked him but I didn't.

good stuff. looking forward to the story.

[Mean'n'Green07]

Great post, thanks for the updates.

[JayDub]

Secondly, I asked him about the football jerseys and the look since Dodge is under contract with Under Armour and he said he doesn't know what it will look like but he said to expect a new look with the jerseys being Under Armour.

Speaking of...will we be making a jersey order this year? This will be the first time I'll be able to afford one.

Edited February 20, 2007 by JayDub

[the real grad88]

"He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand."

Of course it is not a rumor...they ARE pushing for a football stadium CAMPAIGN. The campaign hasn't started yet. The feasibility study hasn't even been done yet...thus we don't know what is feasible to shoot for! If the results are that we don't have the donor potential to build a stadium at this point, we won't even start a campaign. If there is the support to build a stadium, then the question becomes, how much can we afford with the support that the feasibility study showed we would have. From everything I have read, I think we are still a LONG way out. Sorry, but reality is what we must deal with.

[MeanGreengdub]

"He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand."

Of course it is not a rumor...they ARE pushing for a football stadium CAMPAIGN. The campaign hasn't started yet. The feasibility study hasn't even been done yet...thus we don't know what is feasible to shoot for! If the results are that we don't have the donor potential to build a stadium at this point, we won't even start a campaign. If there is the support to build a stadium, then the question becomes, how much can we afford with the support that the feasibility study showed we would have. From everything I have read, I think we are still a LONG way out. Sorry, but reality is what we must deal with.

According to Hank and let me remind you, he is the Deputy Athletic Director which means he is right behind Ricky V at number 2, he thinks at least in 5 years we should have one.

IMO, I think once Todd Dodge starts having success (which hopefully will be this season), the money will start flowing with people going to games, merch, donors and whatever else. Hank said the biggest thing is getting the Denton community to buy into the University. He said the student body is where it needs to be and is only getting better so the city just needs to get behind us and people need to come out to games and then it will all fall in place.

Todd Dodge is just the man to sell the football program. As Hank said, you can ask anyone in Southlake about Todd Dodge and you will hear nothing but good things about the kind of man he is and how he was all about the kids and the program. The wins came with him forming a sense of unity among the players and the community.

[untStein]

I'm glad we're getting new jerseys and hopefully we can stick with these new ones for a while. That sucks about baseball but I guess we've gotta just focus on the new stadium first.

[good_ken]

"He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand."

Of course it is not a rumor...they ARE pushing for a football stadium CAMPAIGN. The campaign hasn't started yet. The feasibility study hasn't even been done yet...thus we don't know what is feasible to shoot for! If the results are that we don't have the donor potential to build a stadium at this point, we won't even start a campaign. If there is the support to build a stadium, then the question becomes, how much can we afford with the support that the feasibility study showed we would have. From everything I have read, I think we are still a LONG way out. Sorry, but reality is what we must deal with.

I believe that (feasability study) is what the Goldstein's donation paid for, though I may be wrong.

Edited February 20, 2007 by good_ken

[greenminer]

I believe that (feasability study) is what the Goldstein's donation paid for, though I may be wrong.

sssshhhh, quiet! We can't have any facts laid out. We don't want to eliminate any debates about what's REALLY happening with the stadium. I must have my rumors! and negative "reality" posters that don't really serve any purpose!

[the real grad88]

sssshhhh, quiet! We can't have any facts laid out. We don't want to eliminate any debates about what's REALLY happening with the stadium. I must have my rumors! and negative "reality" posters that don't really serve any purpose!

The REALITY is that a big donor could walk into RVs office tomorrow with a $15 million dollar check and say, "start your campaign"...or we could be 10 years away. Until I see an announcement of that kind of donor, in my mind there is no new stadium. If you had worked in fundraising, you would understand.

The main thing we need now is just to fill the dang stadium we got! Then, everything will take care of itself.

[greenminer]

The REALITY is that a big donor could walk into RVs office tomorrow with a $15 million dollar check and say, "start your campaign"...or we could be 10 years away. Until I see an announcement of that kind of donor, in my mind there is no new stadium. If you had worked in fundraising, you would understand.

The main thing we need now is just to fill the dang stadium we got! Then, everything will take care of itself.

It's also a reality that a pig could randomly slip through the doors with a buck up his butt, and somebody would snatch it to buy a soda.

The point is that we are actually pushing for it, and that there are people out there with pockets deep enough to make it happen. You're absolutely right about one thing: take care of what we have now and things will fall into place. Here's hoping it's sooner rather than later!

You may choose to leave the glass on the table, but I'll admit to drinking the Green Koolaide this time because I want to believe it when some people so high up in our administration are promising something within the next 5 years. I realize that it may mean that it will take some luck the next 2-3 years, and then factor in a couple years of construction (okay okay, I'm ignorant: how long would a 40K seat stadium take to build?).

I'm going to be a Mean Green fan no matter what, so why not add fuel to the green flames, instead of being such a pessimist? If they don't get this done in 5 or 10 years, by then we'll have another shake up in staff and we'll give it another go. I know many of you have been with the program much longer than I and suffered through some miserable administration, so I can understand the hesitation. But don't rub it off on us newer generations. What good does that do? kinda like the old coaching regime's "we're just going to go into the opponent's stadium and hope that we can hang around until the end, and come out uninjured."....

...sounds a lot like a description of some of the fans around here.

Edited February 20, 2007 by greenminer

[CorinthEagle]

It's also a reality that a pig could randomly slip through the doors with a buck up his butt, and somebody would snatch it to buy a soda.

Oh what a horrible turn this debate has taken.

[NT80]

He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand.

I can live with 40,000 seats to start. That will be better than SMUt's stadium and we can host almost any program with that size stadium. BUILD IT !

[greenminer]

Speaking of the Goldstein donation, does anyone KNOW where that money is going to? Campaign? Feasibility? Pigs with bucks?

Bueller? anyone...

[TheTastyGreek]

Speaking of the Goldstein donation, does anyone KNOW where that money is going to? Campaign? Feasibility? Pigs with bucks?

Bueller? anyone...

The money is going to finance a 15 year contract extension for Tina Slinker and to build a neon sign for the Mattress Mac wing of the UNT Hall of Fame.

[emmitt01]

"He said they are pushing for the Football stadium campaign (which isn't a rumor) but he said they are shooting for a 40k seats with the options of being able to expand."

Of course it is not a rumor...they ARE pushing for a football stadium CAMPAIGN. The campaign hasn't started yet. The feasibility study hasn't even been done yet...thus we don't know what is feasible to shoot for! If the results are that we don't have the donor potential to build a stadium at this point, we won't even start a campaign. If there is the support to build a stadium, then the question becomes, how much can we afford with the support that the feasibility study showed we would have. From everything I have read, I think we are still a LONG way out. Sorry, but reality is what we must deal with.

I heard that using my "ignore poster" button would eliminate my having to read asinine posts. Of course, I've never tried it so I don't know if it's a feasible goal to shoot for. I will, though, take the word of others who have already chosen to do so and assume it will work. That's how this whole "listening to those with actual information and not just erroneous assumptions" thing works. You should try it sometime. Or not. Either way I won't have to read it.

[gksmith]

I guess now the rumer mill can stop. All questions everyone ever had are asked and answered.

No need for this board any more. Time to pack up and leave.

SHUT DOWN THE BOARD....

PSYCH! I AM KIDDING!!!!

Please...someone else laugh with me... guys....

[Coach]

This is probably the Todd Dodge story Dickenson told...

Did I ever tell you about the time Todd Dodge took me out to go get a drink with him? We go off looking for a bar and we can't find one. Finally Todd Dodge takes me to a vacant lot and says, 'Here we are.' We sat there for a year and a half and sure enough someone constructs a bar around us. The day they opened we ordered a shot, drank it, and then burned the place to the ground. Todd Dodge yelled over the roar of the flames, 'Always leave things the way you found em!'

[DeepGreen]

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Hope we can fill Fouts this year a time or two and have more fans wanting seats and can't get one.... That will help raise money to build a new one. Navy looks like a likely one to fill up if our W-L record is still fairly reasonable by mid November.

---Jerseys... please no black ones...LOL... that was a "dark day" but a crazy one to remember for the future.

[the real grad88]

I heard that using my "ignore poster" button would eliminate my having to read asinine posts. Of course, I've never tried it so I don't know if it's a feasible goal to shoot for. I will, though, take the word of others who have already chosen to do so and assume it will work. That's how this whole "listening to those with actual information and not just erroneous assumptions" thing works. You should try it sometime. Or not. Either way I won't have to read it.

Sorry, if I continue to put forward my input on this from my fundraising experience. I know it is a lot more fun to just sit around and talk about wishes and dreams. I like to do that too. Right now, the stadium is a dream folks. So let's dream big and have fun with it. I am all for a 40K seat stadium. I'm for anything that gets rid of FOUTS. I'm for RV pushing for a stadium fee just to get it done. As I have said before, UNT has NEVER received a donation of the size needed to kickstart this project...not anywhere close...for any campaign on campus. That is a fact. Going around talking about how we will have a stadium in 5 years is misguided unless we have the donor on board to make it happen. Either we are misguided or there is a donor. If the donor is there, then GO PUBLIC. If the donor is not there, then quit talking all of this stadium stuff, because it won't happen without it. To keep TALKING about it without a real donor is bad pub. It makes us look like idiots.

[SilverEagle]

You may choose to leave the glass on the table, but I'll admit to drinking the Green Koolaide this time because I want to believe it when some people so high up in our administration are promising something within the next 5 years. I realize that it may mean that it will take some luck the next 2-3 years, and then factor in a couple years of construction (okay okay, I'm ignorant: how long would a 40K seat stadium take to build?).

I'm going to be a Mean Green fan no matter what, so why not add fuel to the green flames, instead of being such a pessimist? If they don't get this done in 5 or 10 years, by then we'll have another shake up in staff and we'll give it another go. I know many of you have been with the program much longer than I and suffered through some miserable administration, so I can understand the hesitation. But don't rub it off on us newer generations. What good does that do? kinda like the old coaching regime's "we're just going to go into the opponent's stadium and hope that we can hang around until the end, and come out uninjured."....

...sounds a lot like a description of some of the fans around here.

This reminds me. Doesn't TDOT have plans to take part of Fouts as part their expansion of I-35? As I recall, isn't the time frame for those plans some where around 2010? Is that still an accurate date? Does anyone have accurate information as to how much of Fouts (or the Fouts property) they are planning to take?

[UNTSIG]

I heard that using my "ignore poster" button would eliminate my having to read asinine posts. Of course, I've never tried it so I don't know if it's a feasible goal to shoot for. I will, though, take the word of others who have already chosen to do so and assume it will work. That's how this whole "listening to those with actual information and not just erroneous assumptions" thing works. You should try it sometime. Or not. Either way I won't have to read it.

[PHSCoach]

This reminds me. Doesn't TDOT have plans to take part of Fouts as part their expansion of I-35? As I recall, isn't the time frame for those plans some where around 2010? Is that still an accurate date? Does anyone have accurate information as to how much of Fouts (or the Fouts property) they are planning to take?

http://www.keepitmovingdallas.com/NR/rdonl...inlanes2of3.pdf

[Eagle1855]

http://www.keepitmovingdallas.com/NR/rdonl...inlanes2of3.pdf

that doesnt look like it would affect Fout's Field.