Harry And Evan

The Fake Lonnie Finch · November 13, 2009

Those two guys sounded real depressed about the state of things in their barbershop thingy. I listened to it last night with a glass a milk and a plate of cookies before I went to bed.

Look, if these guys are beginning to see the light, you gotta figure Rick V is seeing the light. Bruce Springsteen was blinded by the light, and then later Manfred Mann's Earth Band as well.

Again (and again and again and again), this weekend is chance to Dodge to show he can prepare his team...for another 2-7 Sun Belt team desparate for a win. If Dodge cannot somehow convey the urgency to his squad and have them play with some ramped up intensity, then one of two things is at play:

(1) the man just can't do it, or

(2) the man knows his job isn't in jeopardy, so he isn't properly motivated.

Along the lines of #2, could it be that RV and others have intoned to Dodge that his has such a long rope on this thing that he doesn't feel the urgency of seasons gone awry? If so, then the joke's on true believers like Harry and Evan who spend alot of personal time and money on this thing...along with alot of other fans. It would be really disappointing if this was the case.

As stated yesterday, this FIU team is similar to ULM in that it has injuries in key areas and has lost two of three before facing us. The situations are identical. Last week, I asked whether or not Dodge could get his squad to take down a wounded animal. The question is the same this week.

If T.Y. Hilton isn't playing and QB Paul McCall is out with the injuries he's battling...FIU already had eight starters out injured...there is no reason we shouldn't be able to go into Miami and win this one by a couple of scores (and I mean touchdown-type scores, not field goal-type scores). So, my question is the same one I've asked for three years, and that Harry and Evan are now asking on their barbeshop thingy - can Dodge get it done?

Against this team, this weekend, with all that is going wrong for them personnel-wise, there is no way we should come out of this thing with a loss. If FIU somehow manages to beat us with their M.A.S.H. unit of a football squad, you can forget about "Tanking Army" and whatnot. If what's left of this FIU squad can't be beaten by us, there's no way we compete with Army or Arkansas State (who by the final game may be playing their butts off to save their head coach's job for the inexplicably crappy job he's done with that team this season).

Edited November 13, 2009 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

SilverEagle · November 13, 2009

Something has been pointed out a long time ago, and this might be a time to think about it again. Coach Dodge did his best work as a HS coach at Southlake. When he arrived, they already had a winning tradition. He obviously convinced a bunch of highly motivated parents and their kids that if they believed in his system, then they would continue to win. Which is just what happened. Those kids were part of a culture of winning starting from the time they were in pee wee football. So by the time they got into HS, they couldn't imagine anything else but winning. They are, for the most part, a bunch of overachievers.

So, at SLC, Coach Dodge never had to change the culture, just continue it.

The last time we had a person who could change a culture, he got hired away by Iowa.

Edited November 14, 2009 by SilverEagle

Mean Green 93-98 · November 13, 2009

Something has been pointed out a long time ago, and this might be a time to think about it again. Coach Dodge did his best work as a HS coach at Southlake. When he arrived, they already had a winning tradition. He obviously convinced a bunch of highly motivated parents and their kids that if they believed in his system, then they would continue to win. Which is just what happened. Those kids were part of a culture of winning from the time they were in pee wee football. So by the time they got into HS, they couldn't imagine anything else but winning. They are, for the most part, a bunch of overachievers.
So, at SLC, Coach Dodge never had to change the culture, just continue it.
The last time we had a person who could change a culture, he got hired away by Iowa.

Very interesting post. You just might have something there.

KRAM1 · November 13, 2009

Not often would I agree COMPLETELY with SilverEagle, but I do think he is "spot on" with this idea. Coach Fry successfully changed the culture of the football program and he built a winner at UNT. If only he had been able to change the culture of the administration at the same time. UNT might well be playing in the Big XII right now. Coach Dodge faces a daunting task in trying to change the culture, and as he is probably finding out, it is harder than he ever imagined. Good thoughts here, SilverEagle. You, indeed, may have hit the "nail on the head".

On another note...

UNT 32

FIU 23

The Mean Green come home with the WIN! GO MEAN GREEN!

DeepGreen · November 13, 2009

I agree with this idea of a "culture of winning".

But on the flip side, what about the culture of losing? Think about the Rutgers and Temples of the world. Look up and see what Rutgers did over the past decades, prior to the turnaround by their current coach. And Temple? The were so bad, the Big East kicked them out of the conference. I'm sure there are other examples.

Point is, the culture of losing can be turned around with the right desire (by the university), the right coach, and the right staff.

NT80 · November 13, 2009

I agree with this idea of a "culture of winning".
But on the flip side, what about the culture of losing? Think about the Rutgers and Temples of the world. Look up and see what Rutgers did over the past decades, prior to the turnaround by their current coach. And Temple? The were so bad, the Big East kicked them out of the conference. I'm sure there are other examples.
Point is, the culture of losing can be turned around with the right desire (by the university), the right coach, and the right staff.

Turnarounds are caused by many different factors, but mostly thru coaching changes.

Some turnarounds and better/worse results happen due to scheduling, key players found, weather, or even luck.

Fry did change the culture around the program more than any other coach at NT since, but he was also an innovative play caller. Jerry Moore and Bob Tyler turned a good thing into bad. Corky did more with less at the 1-AA level. DD was the beneficiary of a newly formed conference and finding Scott Hall, Pat Cobbs, et al. Then he lost them, the league got better, and the karma changed back to losing. Parker and Dodge were high school guru coaches, and class guys, but couldn't win at the college level.

If you had only one shot at changing losing into winning ASAP, you would have to change the coach.

ForneyGreen · November 13, 2009

Those two guys sounded real depressed about the state of things in their barbershop thingy. I listened to it last night with a glass a milk and a plate of cookies

I listened to it last night with a bottle of Jack and 2 hookers

But I agree they did sound discouraged.

Green Jackal · November 13, 2009

If the topic is about turning around a losing program, we do not need to look any further than our basketball program. JJ came and took over Trilli's team that had one of the worst records in UNT bball history. His team now has one of the best. Our basketball program, like our football program, does not have an extensive history of winning seasons. Sure it is easier to turn around a basketball team than a football team, but both teams have to compete against other teams that are trying to improve. We are very competitive in bball. In basketball we found a coach who can recruit AND coach a team to win. I hate to say it, but Dodge is starting to remind me of Trilli.

Edited November 13, 2009 by Green Jackal

TIgreen01 · November 13, 2009

Those two guys sounded real depressed about the state of things in their barbershop thingy. I listened to it last night with a glass a milk and a plate of cookies before I went to bed.
Look, if these guys are beginning to see the light, you gotta figure Rick V is seeing the light. Bruce Springsteen was blinded by the light, and then later Manfred Mann's Earth Band as well.
Again (and again and again and again), this weekend is chance to Dodge to show he can prepare his team...for another 2-7 Sun Belt team desparate for a win. If Dodge cannot somehow convey the urgency to his squad and have them play with some ramped up intensity, then one of two things is at play:
(1) the man just can't do it, or
(2) the man knows his job isn't in jeopardy, so he isn't properly motivated.
Along the lines of #2, could it be that RV and others have intoned to Dodge that his has such a long rope on this thing that he doesn't feel the urgency of seasons gone awry? If so, then the joke's on true believers like Harry and Evan who spend alot of personal time and money on this thing...along with alot of other fans. It would be really disappointing if this was the case.

It wouldn't just be disappointing, it'd be flat out shocking. There aren't many more "plugged in" folks than Harry. I'd venture to guess that if Harry is talking like this, it's becoming more and more commonly talked about inside the AD. Maybe I'm wrong....but I doubt it.

Also, in regards to the post about WKU going after Jeff Bower....you've got to think that has RV really antsy. Maybe the two men weren't close (I really have no clue), but you have to wonder what his thoughts on getting Jeff Bower in here would be? I'd, personally, be thrilled beyond belief....and I have no connection to USM other than having watched them whip our butts in the NO bowl.

KingDL1 · November 13, 2009

It wouldn't just be disappointing, it'd be flat out shocking. There aren't many more "plugged in" folks than Harry. I'd venture to guess that if Harry is talking like this, it's becoming more and more commonly talked about inside the AD. Maybe I'm wrong....but I doubt it.
Also, in regards to the post about WKU going after Jeff Bower....you've got to think that has RV really antsy. Maybe the two men weren't close (I really have no clue), but you have to wonder what his thoughts on getting Jeff Bower in here would be? I'd, personally, be thrilled beyond belief....and I have no connection to USM other than having watched them whip our butts in the NO bowl.

"I'm Eddie Chiles, and I'm mad as hell", man I hope RV fired up Dodge after last week's performance otherwise we the fans had better let the AD and everyone else concerned know how we feel. I like the words of Eddie Chiles.

"I'm mad too, Eddie!"

Edited November 13, 2009 by KingDL1

The Fake Lonnie Finch · November 13, 2009

I listened to it last night with a bottle of Jack and 2 hookers
But I agree they did sound discouraged.

My wife won't let me invite hookers over. She's such a prude.

SilverEagle · November 13, 2009

I agree with this idea of a "culture of winning".
But on the flip side, what about the culture of losing? Think about the Rutgers and Temples of the world. Look up and see what Rutgers did over the past decades, prior to the turnaround by their current coach. And Temple? The were so bad, the Big East kicked them out of the conference. I'm sure there are other examples.
Point is, the culture of losing can be turned around with the right desire (by the university), the right coach, and the right staff.

Historically our school has always had a culture of "just good enough". But when the arms race started amongst all major colleges in the late 60's, we got left behind. "Just good enough" wasn't good enough any longer. I don't think the administration has gotten the message until recently.