The D-rc Editorial Page

[SUMG]

This was in today's paper. Just posting it for others to see.....make up your own minds on what you think about it:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/....101ffbfa7.html

[adman]

This was in today's paper. Just posting it for others to see.....make up your own minds on what you think about it:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/....101ffbfa7.html

" Trying to do so here has just about given us a case of the vapors."

I think the author of this article isn't aware of what "The Vapors" means.

[DeepGreen]

This was in today's paper. Just posting it for others to see.....make up your own minds on what you think about it:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/....101ffbfa7.html

...or the need for a new logo on the football helmets...

All right! New logos on the helmets!

Edited May 15, 2008 by DeepGreen

[untbowler]

so what is the name of the ignorant douchebag that wrote this anti-everything article.

always easy to kick someone when their down.

[drex]

Sometimes the truth hurts.

[Charlie NT 73]

Sounds like the writer of this "editorial" is also generalizing his opinion.

Notice, the writer was not able to pin down RV with answers on NT's game

plan to improve the APR score, then started critizing RV about his answers, next,

more or less implied that RV is just only good at avoiding issues? WTF?

What a real knucklehead to make such statements! I would think,

being that this is the local Denton newspaper, this guy should have

made a different spin on his opinion, where the story would show

a more supportive side as to what RV will do and how RV will accomplish

the goal of improving the APR. If I were RV, I would call this guy up

and tell him to KMA! You will never get another interview with me!

The last words, "keep kids awake" geez, I really appreciate how the

local paper takes pride in at making snide remarks at a great university!

Edited May 15, 2008 by charlie nt73

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I'm disappointed but not surprised by our APR failure.

My personal belief is that most of this stemmed from Dickey's recruiting. When you wait so late to begin your recruiting, you are forced to take chances on recruits that other schools would not. I don't mean to condemn all of our recruits during that period. The majority went to class, earned their degrees, and became a part of the improved graduation rate. However, several had more interest in football than the classroom and that did not bode well for the Annual Progression Rate.

There has to be a little blame to spread around but most falls in the lap of the coach(es) who recruited them and monitored their progress. The tutors and advisors did very well in those sports where the athletes recruited projected to do well in the classroom. Why are they such dummies when trying to help football players?

This will continue for another couple of years. This report barely, (if at all), touches the Dodge era. There has been, and will continue to be, players who are disgruntled about their treatment under the new regime. That will level off and eventually improve as Dodge-recruited players and those remaining that want to be at North Texas regardless of the coach.

Since football is the main culprit, I hope that Todd will assign an assistant coach to closely monitor attendance and grades of the football athletes. If they attend class and do an adequate amount of studying, the problem will eliminate itself because those making satisfactory progress will want to stay in school.

[GrandGreen]

so what is the name of the ignorant douchebag that wrote this anti-everything article.

always easy to kick someone when their down.

Yes. being one of the most penalized schools by the APR computation in the country, does not deserve any investigation. RV has been strangely silent and really offers little in the way of explanation for a problem that apparently has existed for years. There appears to me a lot more to this issue than has came to light. As incompetent as the NCAA can be, it is hard to believe that NT was hit as hard as it was based on the limited information available. I am not sure how the AD can blame the problem on a HC that at least on an organization chart worked for him. I guess it is like all those years that we had to listen to DD's put down of the University, it was just beyond the AD's control.

It would be nice to know for instance were NT really stands at this point. Are all those that left the football program last year for instance, likely to make next year's penalties even more severe. What were NT's APR scores for the last five years. All I'll seen is what appears to be an average.

This penalty definitely hurts the University. The football program will be hindered not only by reduced scholarships but by the negative publicity this as created. A positive is that Dodge and staff can recruit and will not take the changes on academic risks that created this problem.

Edited May 15, 2008 by GrandGreen

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---It seems this guy is bit too harsh considering the "audience" reading this is in Denton. he should always consider where he is before opening his mouth and perhaps could say the same thing without "ticking" everyone off. I still think the same situation may exist at least one more year because Dodge has "lost" players from the DD era this past season. This penality may have served as a wake-up call for his staff to keep those athletes in school even if you did not recruit them or really want them. Those that were lost this year could hurt us for 1-3 more years. Coming out of the HS ranks (instead of college coaching) he may not have fully realized the importance of this.

--- It was not said but I expect the current staff to now make a better effort to keep these guys in school and also to recruit players who are more interested in being students and graduating. Many of those lost (that counted on this past report) were lost prior to our new facilities across I-35. That should also be helping now that athletes can be monitored better on progress and class attendence. This is not just about keeping just starters eligible but all players on scholarship going to classs and graduating. This likely what RV was implying.

[stebo]

I didn't really read the article as negative.

[CorinthEagle]

I didn't really read the article as negative.

I tend to agree. There aren't a lot of ways to sugarcoat the situation and while some of the statements made me wince, I thought it was pretty fair.

[UNTLifer]

I didn't really read the article as negative.

I didn't either. The only real negative was this person's opinion of RV, being more of a salesman than an administrator.

[GreenAlums]

Somewhere in all this I think RV is thinking about the privacy and/or academic reputation of the some of the students. I don't mind RV not giving details. When has the media deserved that level of ddetails when it relates to individual students and their grades? Not that the details exist in the individual student records, but if you give the media an inch and they will take a mile. They want a controversial story (usually) and may continue to dig until it gets to the individual student level. RV better have some details but I don't think he needs to share them with the media at this point, or ever for that matter. I will leave it up to Dr. B. to address RV. And trust me, that will happen if it needs to.

[Guest 97and03]

Rick did address the issue directly. In fact, it was in an article in...the DRC of all places.

Quotes from their own article:

Example 1

UNT also held several players out of spring practice so that they could work on improving their academic standing. How those players fare will affect UNT’s future APR scores.

Villarreal expressed confidence that once Dodge is able to bring in more of his own recruits, UNT’s football program will quickly improve its APR scores and catch up to the rest of the athletic department.

Example 2

Villarreal credited UNT’s improvements in its graduation rates to the steps the athletic department has taken to improve its academic standing, including building an academic center and adding academic personnel.

Villarreal believes those improvements will carry over to football, which will have some ground to make up on the APR in the next few years.

“Our graduation rates and overall APR scores show that the system works when all three components — administration, coaches and student-athletes — do their part,” Villarreal said.

So in the article in the DRC, they showed the following things are in place:

1) that football players were not allowed to play in Spring to work on grades

2) Dodge will work to address this in recruiting

3) the university has added a great deal of academic support

I am not sure what more they felt that Rick needed to let them in on. It seems pretty clear that they recognize(d) the problems and are working on it with a solid foundation in place.

[GrandGreen]

Somewhere in all this I think RV is thinking about the privacy and/or academic reputation of the some of the students. I don't mind RV not giving details. When has the media deserved that level of ddetails when it relates to individual students and their grades? Not that the details exist in the individual student records, but if you give the media an inch and they will take a mile. They want a controversial story (usually) and may continue to dig until it gets to the individual student level. RV better have some details but I don't think he needs to share them with the media at this point, or ever for that matter. I will leave it up to Dr. B. to address RV. And trust me, that will happen if it needs to.

I don't think anyone is asking the administration to give names or grade information for individuals, most know universities cannot convey that type of data. How about furnishing statistics such as in 2006, NT's score was 9xx and NT had three football players leave school while being below academic standards? Likewise the current academic plan for athletes could be illuminated with data such as number of academic counselors, tutors, mandatory study hall, minimum requirements for admission as an athletic, etc. What is done behind closed doors is fine but it does nothing to re-insure the public including potential recruits and families that the current APR status is an aberration and the school has establish strong programs to ensure the best academic environment for it athletes.

[greenminer]

There appears to me a lot more to this issue than has came to light. As incompetent as the NCAA can be, it is hard to believe that NT was hit as hard as it was based on the limited information available. I am not sure how the AD can blame the problem on a HC that at least on an organization chart worked for him.

I'm with you on your overall point, but to act surprised by our treatment and assume that there is more info is giving the NCAA more credit than due. All you have to do is look at how they have treated exceptions and waivers with BCS players vs. our recent history.

Seems like every year I see something that makes me twitch at the thought of how unfair the decision on Muzzy was.

[KRAM1]

O.K., I just read the article and I am with the group that does not see the article as overly negative at all. RV is in the "promotions" business...he tries his best to "promote" athletics at UNT. Does anyone on this board think President Batille was hired because she was a good in-classroom professor/teacher???? Her job is to build UNT into an "emerging research university", just like RV's job is to build the athletic program into a quality/winning program across the board. OK, UNT got its hand slapped because of some "interesting" rolling four-year average APR formula...a formula it appears which does not apply to some "other university programs"....HMMMMM...but, I'll leave that for another discussion. Fact is, RV does not have to "spill the beans" about UNT's plan to some local reporter. What he has to do is fix the problem. Which, I firmly believe HE WILL. RV is a public figure, and like most public figures, he has his supporters and his detractors...seveal of both are not shy of expressing their never so humble opinions here on this board...but, no matter which camp you fall in, the athletic program at UNT is in much better shape now than it was before RV got to UNT. I am speaking overall, including facilities, attendance, coaches, etc., etc. I am just glad that everything I do at my job is not subject to such close "observation" by the newspapers, the public, etc. Put me in the camp that thinks RV DOES have a plan to fix the APR rating. I personally do not care if he shares it with me or not. I, frankly, do not have a "need to know" as I was told often while serving in the Air Force.

GO MEAN GREEN....JOIN THE EXES...JOIN THE MEAN GREEN CLUB...BUY SEASON TICKETS...AND...by all mans...SHOW UP AT THE GAMES!

The APR is what it is...I, for one, am moving on because Dodgeball time is getting closer ecery day!

[stebo]

DD didn't answer to RV, in fact - the two rarely talked during his last two years. DD held his relationship with Mattress Mack over RV's head to get what he wanted. He practically blackmailed RV to even have two a days in 2005. It was a bad situation because DD had just come off of his fourth consecutive NO Bowl and he had the only big time donor in his back pocket. RV worked with what he had and as soon as the wins went away, Dickey got the boot. Dickey dug his own grave and because of that he is now at an even worse situation then NT.

I hope that we never let a donor blackmail the department and our AD again - but the fans on this board would have been ripping RV a new one if he had let the Mack donations slip away. RV was in a no win situation and DD simply didn't care. DD never cared about NT. He didn't care about players being good citizens or students. He had quite a few that turned out to be outstanding students and citizens but there are so many untold stories about stealing books, robbing stores, robbing lockers, robbing other player's houses, etc... thank goodness most of it never came to light.

There were only a few things that really were made public - the incident with the guns at the old Mercado Juarez... the incident in New Orleans when a player punched a fan from the other team through a car window and went to jail - only to start the next day while out on bail... I really won't go on and on, I was directly hurt (financially) by two players that were from this system; they destroyed a piece of my property (an ATM machine) and only one was let go from the team (the one that wasn't playing anyway). Make no mistake, DD had RV by the balls and thank god he is gone. I am willing to put this whole bad report on DD. As for RV not having him "under control" - I blame the fans just as much for letting DD hold the Mack donations over RV's head.

[adman]

So here's a question. Would anyone trade our 4 bowl trips for the 5 schollies we lost?

[StealthEagle84]

I would not call this "ripping" North Texas but rather holding our athletic director accountable for not doing his ultimate job, which is to ensure each and every STUDENT athlete leaves North Texas with a degree in hand. While the article is a little harsh in its tone, its pretty straight forward and brutally honest. I understand that the football team carries the highest percentage of athletes but to blame the previous regime for the schools academic failures is just flat out not taking the blame for what has happened. Perhaps this is another factor to Dickey's release from the program but its still no excuse for this kind of reprimand from the forces above. Rick V should have seen the trend sooner and as the article states, come up with a more comprehensive layout of how UNT will achieve its end goal; North Texas student athletes graduating from school and becoming leaders in the community.

[Hunter Green]

This editorial smells of Ethan Stansbury. (Ithinks thats his name). The same dope who wanted fans to throw money onto Fouts Field during games, and was serious about it! What a moron.

[TheTastyGreek]

So here's a question. Would anyone trade our 4 bowl trips for the 5 schollies we lost?

This is a great question.

Good job of putting the tradeoff in perspective.

I would rather be us, having 4 consecutive conference championships and the temporary reduction of 5 scholarships, than Troy (with two bowl trips and a full complement) or anyone else in the Belt.

Edited May 16, 2008 by TheTastyGreek