For Old Times Sake

[Coach]

I'm not too sure about the Memphis fans but it has been said that UNT fans can be quite mean.

My favorite shirt in college was printed by RHA and on the front said "Mean" and on the back "and damn proud of it!"

[ADLER]

Here's my story about the Memphis fans that made quite an impression on me.

I went to the New Orleans Bowl with my bride and our 17 month old daughter. It was a pretty warm day when we left for the pregame luncheon so we were dressed accordingly, and my daughter was wearing her little cheerleader outfit. We left the Hilton Hotel and headed to the nearby Superdome.

We stayed after the game to watch the trophy presentationto the Tigers, and when we left it was cold, windy, and it was sprinkling. We couldn't get a taxi at the dome so we walked back to the Hilton. My daughter was freezing and shivering a I tried to do my best to warm her.

When we got to the Hilton there were already dozens, if not over a hundred, Memphis fans already waiting for taxis. Everone was very anxious to get back to their hotels and to the Bourbon Street post-game revelry. I got in the line outside and had my wife take the baby inside the hotel to wait, but they kept having to come outside to see how close to the front of the line I was.

Most of the taxis that were coming into the Hilton circle were getting commandeered by Bourbon Street anxious students from both schools before they could even get to the line.

Finally, after a very long while I was up toward the front of the line, but the taxis kept being taken by the kids.

I was gritting my teeth trying to stay shut up when several of the Memphis fans in line behind me walked out to the street to get the next taxi before it could enter the Hilton area. I stayed quiet but was close to having a turrets moment on these damn Memphis fans.

Suddenly, the taxi that they had grabbed turned into the Hilton circle and stopped at the front of the line. A 50ish year old Memphis fan with a grey beard got out of the taxi and said "I know you've been out in this cold for a long time, and you've got to get your baby somewhere warm before she gets sick. I wanted to make sure you got a taxi before the students grabbed it."

The few Memphis fans that were in front of me that had been waiting even longer than me insisted I take the cab, saying that they would wait for the next one.

The Memphis fans that were there that night proved themselves to be class acts and have formed an opinion for me of what great fans are like.

Whatever happens in the game Friday, I'll be cheering for the winner throughout the tournament.

[DeepGreen]

And no other program has ever treated North Texas alumni and fans worst than what New Mexico St did in Las Cruces, just in case anyone is keeping track.

Rick

Ever been to an LSU game?

[ADLER]

Ever been to an LSU game?

There’s a difference between the two. At LSU there were hundreds of out-of-control idiots running around the place. At NMSU, the out-of-control idiots were running the place.

[FirefightnRick]

Ever been to an LSU game?

Yes, ADLER, BRAD and myself were there in '05 and the LSU people treated us like gold. We ate and drank, for free all day as those who invited us into their tents wouldn't take no for an answer at their offers. Then when we got into the stadium our seats were right behind our team, three rows up from the field and several Tiger fans came over to greet us and take pictures etc.... It was my second trip to Death Valley and both times have been great, other than the final score of course.

Great story by ADLER about the Memphis folks by the way. I remember that freak cold front that hit that night while we were in the SuperDome. It actually snowed on us when we turned north on 49 in Lafayette the next morning.

Rick

Edited March 14, 2007 by FirefightnRick

[MeanGreengdub]

Actually Im going to have to go with Texas Tech in a landslide on this one... not only obnoxious, but have a serious case of step child syndrome. Though I must admit it makes laugh how they always beat A&M at everything because it really burns the asses of the aggies. Which brings me to the only thing that really annoys me about aggies- there is an excuse for EVERYTHING. Aggies never lose, they just run out of time. Aggies never lose, refs conspire to help the other team win. And so on and so forth.

That being said, I hope all the Texas teams go deep in the tourney. Except Tech. I hope BC beats them in the first round and Bob Knight literally explodes in the post game press conference after providing a profanity laced tirade of future ticket drops with a beet red face. That's quality programming.

I dont really remember the Memphis fans at the last NO Bowl. Perhaps because I had a couple of those Pat Os hurricanes before the game and a frozen daquiri made with 151 for the walk to the Superdome. I think everyone was really nice, and I was probably the funniest, best-looking guy I ever knew that night...

Hahaha, aggies really do have an excuse for EVERYTHING. They are such sore losers. If NT loses I can at least admit "ya we sucked tonight" but aggies are never wrong and their team is always number despite rankings. When will they learn they will never be better than UT?(and im not really a UT fan, I'm a NORTH TEXAS FAN)

[UNT_92_Fan]

Hahaha, aggies really do have an excuse for EVERYTHING. They are such sore losers. If NT loses I can at least admit "ya we sucked tonight" but aggies are never wrong and their team is always number despite rankings. When will they learn they will never be better than UT?(and im not really a UT fan, I'm a NORTH TEXAS FAN)

I am not sure but just watching those teams play basketball this year...despite the Big XII tourney... A&M is better than UT...Without Durant that team wouldn't be anything. They hit a jackpot finding an NBA player that is forced to play one year of college ball. I wonder if the kid has seen the classroom this semester... He is jumpin' to the NBA in a few months

[Eagle1855]

I am not sure but just watching those teams play basketball this year...despite the Big XII tourney... A&M is better than UT...Without Durant that team wouldn't be anything. They hit a jackpot finding an NBA player that is forced to play one year of college ball. I wonder if the kid has seen the classroom this semester... He is jumpin' to the NBA in a few months

actually he has seen the classroom. he is apparently a really good student and enjoys being in Austin (not hard to imagine for a star athlete ha). He's not your typical can't-wait-to-get-my-money kind of freshman basketball player, he's a good kid.

I agree, A&M is a better team all around. They have an veteran team that plays well together- as a team- and Acie Law is a stud! I do think it's pretty impressive what Texas has managed to do with 5 new starters, 4 of whom are freshman. It isn't all Durant, Augustine is an intergral part of that team as well.

That being said, I've got A&M in the Final Four, and Texas getting beat in the 16. Oh and I don't think Tech makes it out of the first round.

Regarding LSU and fans experiences, FFR's good experience is the first I have heard. Even LSU fans told me I was crazy to go to Baton Rouge if I was supporting their opponent. I guess it just differs for everyone. Hell, I've witnessed NT fans acting in ways that embarrassed me...

[Green Mean]

I have several friends that go to all the major bcs schools around this part of the country as well as quite a few in the rest of the country. To be honest with you I think they are all really humble when they play or meet people from UNT or another smaller conference school like that. I mean these bcs schools really dont need to be talking bad about NT because we all know they have more money, have better programs, and win more consistently against better competition. Its only when the major schools clash with eachother in a game...thats when they may get a little more restless. Several of my good friends go to TAMU, TT, and UT and believe it or not they do support NT. They said that if it were up to them they would kick Baylor out of the big 12 and add either TCU or NT. Not sure if that was shock value but for them to make a comment like that made me proud that atleast they acknowledge the Mean Green. Afcourse all schools and teams will have its share of idiots but I think generalizing all the fans over just a few dumb idiots isnt the best way to judge fans.

[Green Mean]

actually he has seen the classroom. he is apparently a really good student and enjoys being in Austin (not hard to imagine for a star athlete ha). He's not your typical can't-wait-to-get-my-money kind of freshman basketball player, he's a good kid.

I agree, A&M is a better team all around. They have an veteran team that plays well together- as a team- and Acie Law is a stud! I do think it's pretty impressive what Texas has managed to do with 5 new starters, 4 of whom are freshman. It isn't all Durant, Augustine is an intergral part of that team as well.

That being said, I've got A&M in the Final Four, and Texas getting beat in the 16. Oh and I don't think Tech makes it out of the first round.

Regarding LSU and fans experiences, FFR's good experience is the first I have heard. Even LSU fans told me I was crazy to go to Baton Rouge if I was supporting their opponent. I guess it just differs for everyone. Hell, I've witnessed NT fans acting in ways that embarrassed me...

Last semester Durant had a 3.0 GPA and attended practially all of his classes regularly. Durant is a pure stud and is truly NBA ready....he single handedly dominates and takes over a game. TAMU may have an all around better team but having Kevin Durant cant make UT beat TAMU because we know thats been done before....remember last years NBA finals and Dwayne Wade?

[Mean Green 93-98]

Afcourse all schools and teams will have its share of idiots but I think generalizing all the fans over just a few dumb idiots isnt the best way to judge fans.

I have thought about what I posted earlier about my experience with Memphis fans at the Superdome. I had forgotten that there was a point in the game when Memphis scored a touchdown that pretty well put the game out of reach, at which point I was a little irate. In my irateness, I lost my North Texas ballcap down to the lower deck below. I thought for sure my hat was going to be burned in effigy, but someone tossed it back up to me. Also, there was a gentleman sitting by us with his son who was polite, and I enjoyed talking with him. While the Memphis fans around me were GENERALLY some of the rudest I had ever seen (moreso than A&M or Tech in my personal experience), that was not universally the case; especially as seen by the Memphis crowd deferring the taxi cab to one of ours with his little daughter.

[CMJ]

Can't believe the Aggie fans are getting such a bum rap. Those were the some of the best fans I ever experienced. Tech fans were by far the worst. I felt we needed an armored car to get out of Lubbock both times I went.

[tigerjeb]

what do you expect- we're talking about Memphis, TN. You'd be in a bad mood too if you had to go to school in that gorgeous city on the shining brown waters of the mississippi...

yep. its a hole

[Eagle1855]

yep. its a hole

There are a lot of nice towns in Tennessee- Memphis just isn't the first that comes to mind. However there is a lot of crime, so that's something.

Edited March 14, 2007 by Eagle1855

[Mean Green 93-98]

There are a lot of nice towns in Tennessee- Memphis just isn't the first that comes to mind. However there is a lot of crime, so that's something.

Lived there for 2 years - it's the armpit of a beautiful state.

[ADLER]

yep. its a hole

I love the City of Memphis as a tourist destination, and I doubt we could find too many people that would say the same about Denton. I went there several years back and had a wonderful time; stayed at the Peabody, toured Graceland and the Elvis museums, visited the Memphis Belle, bar-hopped on Beal Street, and was at the Lorraine Hotel to comemerate the 30th anniversary th MLK Jr assassination.

Thanks for the picture of the parade Jeb.

Edited March 17, 2007 by ADLER

[SUMG]

I enjoyed my experiences with the Memphis fans at the 2003 NO Bowl, as well.

But, maybe the nicest fans I've ever encountered were the fans at Nebraska. Really nice Midwestern folks. And dig this....when we played them in 1993.....their band played our fight song before the game. Now, that's class.

[PerryG2480]

a few more...

Dumb or dumber?

Edited March 15, 2007 by PerryG2480

[Mean Green 93-98]

That may be mean, but man, it's funny!

[Travis]

That may be mean, but man, it's funny!

it's funny because it's true