Excerpts From Fw*telegram Article Not On Web Site

OldTimer · August 12, 2007

1. Media shut oout at scrimmage.."I've always closed all of my practices after spring ball" Dodge said, anybody in stands was just family.

2. kicking.. candidates took 4 turns each on Kickoffs, extra points and field goals. Punter Truman Spencer leading candidate to kick off, he had 2 touchbacks sfrom the 30 yd line and 1 to the 5 yd line on kickoffs.

3. Meager and Vizza had 25 plays each against 1st and 2nd team defense..NT threw about 70 % passes.

4. DT Joseph Miller and safety Aaron Weathers returned Saturday after being tossed from Friday's practice for arguing with Def coodinator Ron Mendoza

5. Another practice/scrimmage at Fouts next Saturday and a mock game Aug 24.

SilverEagle · August 12, 2007

UNT FOOTBALL NOTES

Media shut out at UNT scrimmage

By TROY PHILLIPS

Star-Telegram staff writer

DENTON -- Had North Texas coach Todd Dodge been able to lock the gates at Fouts Field on Saturday, he would have.

Gate areas at Fouts are temporarily down because of renovations, so Dodge had a few staffers make sure no media got into Saturday's first fall scrimmage -- which a day earlier Dodge played down as a routine practice.

Around 30 fans were admitted, but director of football operations Mark Barrow turned away reporters who tried to enter. A young woman who said she knew a player was let in.

After Friday's practice at the UNT Athletic Center, Dodge said 11-on-11 drills and live kicking would be the focus of Saturday's practice, but he was never clear that media members weren't welcome. Told that his schedule had Saturday's session marked "scrimmage," Dodge said: "It's just another practice that will be more team-oriented."

Dodge has closed the regular practice fields to fans and media, except for television and still photographers during the first 30 minutes of workouts. The view from outside a fence around the fields is unobstructed.

At Fouts, most fenced areas are obstructed by wind screens, and the field is below ground level.

"I've always closed all of my practices after spring ball," Dodge said. "Anybody who was in the stands was just family. That's what I instructed our people to make sure."

UNT has another practice/scrimmage scheduled at Fouts on Saturday and a "mock game" on Aug. 24.

Spring and fall workouts and scrimmages were open to all fans and media under previous coach Darrell Dickey. Photographers were limited to 45 minutes per workout.

"I always leave those decisions up to our coaches," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said.

Kicking notes

Freshmen Trent Deans, Clayton Teasdale and Thomas Moreland took four turns each on kickoffs, extra points and field goals in the scrimmage. Dodge said the four combined to miss only one field goal.

Punter Truman Spencer is the leading candidate to kick off. Special teams coach Robert Drake said Truman's been best from the NCAA's new kickoff spot, the 30-yard line. He had two touchbacks Saturday and put one kickoff from the 25 at the 5-yard line, Drake said.

"These guys all know they have a shot," Drake said. "If you have a veteran [kicker], sometimes younger guys don't see themselves in that role."

Briefly

UNT officials said the heat index on Fouts Field's turf reached 115 degrees.

Quarterbacks Daniel Meager and Giovanni Vizza had 25 plays each against the first- and second-team defenses. UNT threw on about 75 percent of the 120 plays, Todd Dodge said.

Defensive tackle Joseph Miller and safety Aaron Weathers returned Saturday after being tossed from Friday's practice for arguing with defensive coordinator Ron Mendoza.

tphillips@star-telegram.com

Troy Phillips, 817-390-7760

Just a guess, but I think the media is not pleased.

flyeater · August 12, 2007

Here it is.

Sounds like the closed scrimmage didn't go over too well.

Oops, looks like someone posted it already--sorry.

Edited August 12, 2007 by flyeater

keith · August 12, 2007

Wow, what a change. The media is upset over not being able to cover a North Texas football practice? Amazing. It used to be that the media didn't care about North Texas football.

Go Mean Green!

Keith

akriesman · August 12, 2007

Wow, what a change. The media is upset over not being able to cover a North Texas football practice? Amazing. It used to be that the media didn't care about North Texas football.

My thoughts exactly. It's a nice problem to have to worry about.

the green rokemi · August 12, 2007

"UNT has another practice/scrimmage scheduled at Fouts on Saturday and a "mock game" on Aug. 24."

Don't tease me as I am now assuming fans won't be allowed for these as well?

FirefightnRick · August 12, 2007

It's All Green and All Good.

Rick

Edited August 12, 2007 by FirefightnRick

good_ken · August 12, 2007

Defensive tackle Joseph Miller and safety Aaron Weathers returned Saturday after being tossed from Friday's practice for arguing with defensive coordinator Ron Mendoza.

Team Discipline. About as new fangled as the forward pass.

NT80 · August 12, 2007

I'll give Dodge and Barrow some leeway for being newbies to the college/fan/media/communication game, but the way this was handled miffed more than a few fans and media. You can't expect to preach get-on-the-bandwagon then lock access to folks who give while admitting former types (and non relatives) who don't give. Fwiw, it has already cost the program several thousand $ in lost donations for the future from a long time fan. :ermm:

meangreenfreak · August 12, 2007

Team Discipline. About as new fangled as the forward pass.

Dodge is big on the "this team is a family" thing. You know what happens to people who mess with the family. They end up getting banished or if your really bad, you might get a big surprise the next time you start your car.

Don't mess with the family.

Green to the Bone · August 12, 2007

I'll give Dodge and Barrow some leeway for being newbies to the college/fan/media/communication game, but the way this was handled miffed more than a few fans and media. You can't expect to preach get-on-the-bandwagon then lock access to folks who give while admitting former types (and non relatives) who don't give. Fwiw, it has already cost the program several thousand $ in lost donations for the future from a long time fan.

Agreed. Communication and letting people understand the rules are key points.

Still, the decision itself -- to close practice -- is probably a sound one that should pay off long after yesterday's hurt feelings have faded. For anyone to cut off their future donations because of a communications miscue seems a bit fickle and extreme.

meangreenfreak · August 12, 2007

For anyone to cut off their future donations because of a communications miscue seems a bit fickle and extreme.

RE: Jim MacInvale - Mattress Mac

Green to the Bone · August 12, 2007

RE: Jim MacInvale - Mattress Mac

That was a power struggle, not a communications misunderstanding. Everybody knew exactly what everybody else meant, and why. Whenever that happens, watch out.

MeanGreen61 · August 12, 2007

Fwiw, it has already cost the program several thousand $ in lost donations for the future from a long time fan.

Big positive changes in the program, loads of positive publicity, etc. One blip in communications and no more $$$ ? :disgust: That's a strange attitude.

meangreenfreak · August 12, 2007

That was a power struggle, not a communications misunderstanding. Everybody knew exactly what everybody else meant, and why. Whenever that happens, watch out.

The point was that we have had a donor in the past declare that he would no longer donate to the program because they disagreed with descisions made by the program.

GMoney · August 12, 2007

It is what it is. We're all excited and want to see as much as possible, but a Coach has the right to run his practices the way he chooses. In the long run, with the offensive system TD runs, this will probably be for the best. Could it have and should it have been communicated earlier - yes! However, lets not confuse Coach Dodge's wanting fan support and excitement with the coaching staff's ability to win games and plan against an opponents. Closing practices is nothing new to college football although it may be new to NT! Remember everyone wants to know what Todge is doing, and I mean everyone, as was evident at the spring game (many of you know what I'm referring to).

FirefightnRick · August 12, 2007

It's All Green and All Good!

Rick

Edited August 12, 2007 by FirefightnRick

GMoney · August 12, 2007

Your missing the point. The attitude portrayed yesterday leads me to believe it could/will happen again. Do you know what Al Goldfield looks like? Jim McInvale? Denny Kalk? Curtis Clinesmith? I've spoken to three of the four at randon practices and scrimmages in blue jeans, t shirts and old ball caps. Could you pick them out of a crowd? Most couldn't, and possibly neither of those policing the stands could either.
Hurt feelings or not, we can't afford yesterday to continue. If practice is to be closed, fine. Say so and tell the truth as to why. No one has a problem with any of Coach Dodges wishes, NO ONE! But if practices are off limits, if nothing else, don't have the date, time and place printed in the paper in the day's leading up to the event. It's as simple as that.
Rick

Lets be quite honest here, big donors live by a separate set of rules than most. If these guys want to view a scrimmage or practice all they'll need to do is call Rick. They'll be put on the list and allowed in by Mark. This is probably the case with a few others as well, but as you well know, there are a lot of eyes out there who want to know exactly what T. Dodge is doing (you can tell from the posts on this board). Some of those eyes were spotted at the spring game!

Edited August 12, 2007 by GMoney

FirefightnRick · August 12, 2007

It's All Good and All Green.

Rick

Edited August 12, 2007 by FirefightnRick

greenminer · August 12, 2007

just my 2 cents...

If I had the money to give to something I care about, I wouldn't let a communications mistake get to me. It was a mistake, right...not someone trying to slap me in the face? If you're taking it that way, you're too defensive.

Just let the people higher up apologize and address it so that it doesn't happen again.

MeanGreen61 · August 12, 2007

just my 2 cents...
If I had the money to give to something I care about, I wouldn't let a communications mistake get to me. It was a mistake, right...not someone trying to slap me in the face? If you're taking it that way, you're too defensive.
Just let the people higher up apologize and address it so that it doesn't happen again.

Exactly.

PlummMeanGreen · August 12, 2007

Hope Coach Dodge is a bit more patient with us if we don't have a (apparently promised) grand opening of a bright, shiny and sparkling new D1-A football stadium setting on that rolling Texas prairie within the next 3-4 years.

Quite frankly, it seems expectations are high on both sides of the coin and it might be our side of the coin that probably (and ultimately) has the most to deliver? :blink:

Edited August 12, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

meangreenfreak · August 12, 2007

Hope Coach Dodge is a bit more patient with us if we don't have a (apparently promised) grand opening of a bright, shiny and sparkling new D1-A football stadium setting on that rolling Texas prairie within the next 3-4 years.
Quite frankly, it seems expectations are high on both sides of the coin and it might be our side of the coin that probably (and ultimately) has the most to deliver?

Our side of the coin: Making sure that Fouts is full at each of the home games?

NT80 · August 12, 2007

It was a mistake, right...not someone trying to slap me in the face?

I believe that was part of the issue; the method and the inconsistency of the policy.

MeanGreen61 · August 12, 2007

I believe that was part of the issue; the method and the inconsistency of the policy.

Among all of the positives that are happening to our program, a possible mistake or error occurs and it takes center stage. It seems that we've always got some type of crisis or perceived crisis brewing. Hope TD can get use to the nature of the beast (UNT).

Edited August 12, 2007 by MeanGreen61