Just A Reminder

Mean Green 93-98 · October 30, 2008

Very good post. Thank you.

Travis Scott · October 30, 2008

finally a refreshing post with some positive spirit. As it's been said before...it's not always easy being a Mean Green fan, but it's worth it! GO MEAN GREEN!!!!!!!!

Quoner · October 30, 2008

Again - there is no WAY in HELL that we had 18K attend the game last weekend. I bet you guys sucked at guessing the number of candy in the jar back in elementary school.

It's 18k sold....why the hell is this so hard to understand when someone points it out to you in every thread. If you want to overhaul the way sports at all levels count attendance, then by all means, start working on a letter to the league presidents, NCAA and whoever else needs to see it. I'll even help you get it out to the media if it will make you feel better.

Daddy Dumpsalot · October 30, 2008

Can someone summarize his post?

Huff · October 30, 2008

Rick, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and I think I get at least a little respect coming back my way from you. As you know, I have been a season ticket holder since 1972 and a contributor to North Texas athletics since Hayden Fry started the Mean Green Club in 1973. I have given money to change the seats in the Super Pit from orange to green and have given money to try to help build a new football stadium at North Texas without having ever been asked to do so by anyone in the athletic department. I have supported our teams when they were called Eagles, Mean Green, Mean Green Eagles, and even this year when we probably should have changed our name to The Skunks. I have missed very few home games over that span of time and have traveled to see games from Utah in the west to New York in the east. I have suffered through twelve losing seasons in the last sixteen years. I was not in favor of hiring a head football coach who had very limited experience at the college level and have yet to see anything that would cause me to change my mind. I just can't take it any longer. I will not be at the final game against Arkansas State and have not yet finalized a decision about next year. I know there will be people who refer to me as a rat but with the job I had for many years, I promise you that I have been called a whole lot worse than that. The kids who are finishing their careers at that final game deserved better. They deserved a chance to play their final game in front of a decent crowd but the folks who made the schedule for this year took that away from them. Those young men came to North Texas during better times and probably could never have imagined the won-loss record that would happen in the past four years. I know that it came as a huge surprise to me. Unfortunately I do not see it being much better next year. I praise those who will attend the final game of the year. I just cannot find it in my heart to be one of them.

Don Hufstedler

Azle, Texas

NT80 · October 30, 2008

Rick, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and I think I get at least a little respect coming back my way from you. As you know, I have been a season ticket holder since 1972 and a contributor to North Texas athletics since Hayden Fry started the Mean Green Club in 1973. I have given money to change the seats in the Super Pit from orange to green and have given money to try to help build a new football stadium at North Texas without having ever been asked to do so by anyone in the athletic department. I have supported our teams when they were called Eagles, Mean Green, Mean Green Eagles, and even this year when we probably should have changed our name to The Skunks. I have missed very few home games over that span of time and have traveled to see games from Utah in the west to New York in the east. I have suffered through twelve losing seasons in the last sixteen years. I was not in favor of hiring a head football coach who had very limited experience at the college level and have yet to see anything that would cause me to change my mind. I just can't take it any longer. I will not be at the final game against Arkansas State and have not yet finalized a decision about next year. I know there will be people who refer to me as a rat but with the job I had for many years, I promise you that I have been called a whole lot worse than that. The kids who are finishing their careers at that final game deserved better. They deserved a chance to play their final game in front of a decent crowd but the folks who made the schedule for this year took that away from them. Those young men came to North Texas during better times and probably could never have imagined the won-loss record that would happen in the past four years. I know that it came as a huge surprise to me. Unfortunately I do not see it being much better next year. I praise those who will attend the final game of the year. I just cannot find it in my heart to be one of them.
Don Hufstedler
Azle, Texas

Good post. As an NT fan since 1974, I feel your pain.

October 31, 2008

Don, it grieves me deeply that you feel so much despair right now. We are all hurting but things will get better soon. I've been following North Texas football since 1947 and this may be the lowest that I've ever felt. I had heard these rumors a month or so ago, had them pretty much confirmed at the last game and knew that this was coming. It's actually a little better than the rumors if you can believe that. I'm not sure who is at fault and, if the ship can be righted, I probably don't care. Just do it. In fact, there's probably blame to be scattered among this coaching staff, the previous coaching staff and the players themselves. However, blame is not going to heal anything. It's now time to forgive and, as much as we can, forget.

I'll be at the Arkansas State game if at all possible. I owe it to the seniors. It's not their fault that they happened to play in an era of turmoil. I'd like to think that all of them gave it their best and that's all we can ask. If any of the seniors

happen to be guilty of drug usage, I hope that it's their last time. I would especially like to see them dedicate this game to Casey Fitzgerald, perhaps the greatest success story in North Texas athletics history.

You have been one of the most loyal and giving fans that we've ever had Huff, and for you to walk away, even for one game, you must be really hurting. I hope that you can find it in your heart to get back on the bandwagon before it starts moving again. It will move; if not with this coaching staff, then the next one. There are many good things in the UNT future. I hope that you will continue to be a part of it.

Edited October 31, 2008 by GrayEagleOne

UNT90 · October 31, 2008

Rick, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and I think I get at least a little respect coming back my way from you. As you know, I have been a season ticket holder since 1972 and a contributor to North Texas athletics since Hayden Fry started the Mean Green Club in 1973. I have given money to change the seats in the Super Pit from orange to green and have given money to try to help build a new football stadium at North Texas without having ever been asked to do so by anyone in the athletic department. I have supported our teams when they were called Eagles, Mean Green, Mean Green Eagles, and even this year when we probably should have changed our name to The Skunks. I have missed very few home games over that span of time and have traveled to see games from Utah in the west to New York in the east. I have suffered through twelve losing seasons in the last sixteen years. I was not in favor of hiring a head football coach who had very limited experience at the college level and have yet to see anything that would cause me to change my mind. I just can't take it any longer. I will not be at the final game against Arkansas State and have not yet finalized a decision about next year. I know there will be people who refer to me as a rat but with the job I had for many years, I promise you that I have been called a whole lot worse than that. The kids who are finishing their careers at that final game deserved better. They deserved a chance to play their final game in front of a decent crowd but the folks who made the schedule for this year took that away from them. Those young men came to North Texas during better times and probably could never have imagined the won-loss record that would happen in the past four years. I know that it came as a huge surprise to me. Unfortunately I do not see it being much better next year. I praise those who will attend the final game of the year. I just cannot find it in my heart to be one of them.
Don Hufstedler
Azle, Texas

I am a grad from 1990 that recently found myself coming back to UNT for events. Partly because of the success the football and basketball team enjoyed, partially because work and personal schedules eased and afforded me the time to become more involved. Before this year, I usually made 2 football games a year and about 3 basketball games a year. This year is my first year to be a season ticket holder for football and Mean Green Club member. That said to say this: I would hate to see any fan (speaking in general) of this program who has been dedicated to this program for years leave right before things get good.

Maybe because people have been so close to this program for so long, they develop a myopic view. Todd Dodge will either win next year or be fired. RV, love him or hate him, will not be here forever. But, this year the STUDENTS vote an increase to their own fees in order to fund a NEW STADIUM, something that, from what I understand from this board, was simply a dream for years! I don't understand why people that have supported this program for so long would want to leave when the dream is this close. This stadium will produce better recruits, better future coaches, more revenue, and a better team.

Try not to think about this year, but 3 years from now when all of your loyalty is rewarded when you watch that first game in a new stadium. When 35,000 fans pack the stadium for opening day to see North Texas Football.

Yea, the football this season sucks, we may go 0-12, everyone at work may tease us as they root for a school in which they never attended a class, but I personally have had a great time enjoying the game day atmosphere (of which there was NONE when I attended UNT) and will renew my season tickets as soon as possible next year.

Good times are coming.

GreenSquared · October 31, 2008

I haven't posted in quite some time, but read the board daily. I'm not a UNT grad, but have a son who will soon graduate from there and the wife and I are season ticket holders and have made every home game for the last two years (yes, we are TD fans, but more than tht we are now Mean Green fans). My hat is off to those of you like FFR, the hurt and embarrassment for your university must be horrible, yet you keep showing up and pulling for your team! Doing anything you can to help! That's what being a fan is all about! This team needs you now more than ever, regardless of who the coach is, what bad press they have had or the won/loss record.

This is all easy for me to say as I don't have the emotional ties or years of fandom that many of you do. My alma mater (and team) is 6 hours away so I don't get to see them play much. I love college football, so adopting the Mean Green as my "local" team has been great. There is simply nothing like a college stadium on a Saturday afternoon!

The support shown the Mean Green, despite the disappointing record, is a tribute to your loyalty!

Regardless of the disappointment, I know most of you will be at the AState game................we'll see you there and thanks for letting us be a part of it!

KRAM1 · October 31, 2008

I'll be at the Ark State game...I think the seniors on this team who have given so much and showed character to stay with the program and not walk away have earned our respect...It is the VERY LEAST I can do to show my support!

I hope everyone will think of the seniors BEFORE they make a final decision on whether to attend the Ark St game or not. Sometimes, the RIGHT thing to do is simply the RIGHT THING TO DO! Think about that as you make your decision to attend or not.

GO MEAN GREEN!

Stan R · October 31, 2008

but I personally have had a great time enjoying the game day atmosphere (of which there was NONE when I attended UNT) and will renew my season tickets as soon as possible next year.
Good times are coming.

Yes, the game day atmosphere is the key, I think the most important thing to happen since I've been following the team at least (since 1995). Without that tailgating, the activities for the kids, etc. there would be NO WAY we would be averaging close to the 18K that were are averaging now, IMO.