Better Off?

[bstnsportsfan3]

I wasn't here for the Dickey Days...but from everything i understand the program is much much better overall then it has been in years....the only thing missing is the transfomation of the Win/Loss record....Dodge may not be the guy to get us the wins but i do think we owe him a debt of graditude for cleaning up this program and energizing the fan base....now lets get a big name coach, win some games...and put us on the national map with a great team and great stadium....its all good and all green!

Some come and Some go.....

But North Texas is forever!

Go Mean Green!

[NovaScotiaGreen]

Yeah, but Stalin only won Lenin's recruits, so we know he wouldn't do that here.

So Stalin never had his own guys?

- I never knew that.

This board is hard to follow at times, MOST times.

[eulessismore]

So Stalin never had his own guys?

- I never knew that.

This board is hard to follow at times, MOST times.

More of us are noticing that. However, we ARE the board, so...I'm thinking there's a certain stress we get from looking at our won/loss record over the last 5 years.

[PlummMeanGreen]

More of us are noticing that. However, we ARE the board, so...I'm thinking there's a certain stress we get from looking at our won/loss record over the last 5 years.

Try the cumulative winning seasons (or above .500) for the last 14 years, uh......."3". Who knows, maybe we'll get a new stadium name out of all this. (Hayden, we should have told you done too much to get anything around here named after you--the Tennessee win clinched that from ever happening).

GMG!

Edited September 22, 2010 by PlummMeanGreen

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

DickeyBall became boring and predictable.

Really? It is that much more exciting to see us lose with a passing offense than lose with a running offense?

I'd say turnovers, losses, and perpetual quarterback problems under Dodge have become boring and predictable.

Here, I'll predict it now:

-Our quarterbacks will throw more interceptions than touchdowns again in 2010.

-We will lose at least 10 games this season again.

-We will see at least two more quarterbacks this season again. We were spared of the quarterback merry-go-round in only one Dodge season, 2008.

Wee, isn't this so much more fun than 2006?

It's the same. Winning is winning; and, losing is losing.

We could seriously finish the season 0-12, fellas. There's nothing exciting about that.

A term far more appropriate than boring, predictable, or exciting is irritating. As in, how much longer will Rick Villareal let this irritating crap continue?

[TodgeRodge]

is the overall state of UNT athletics better now than under DD.....that would have to be a yes.....the vast improvements in facilities and the increased student support show this as well as the mens BB program success

does that have anything to do with Todge.....not at all....and as far as the football program specifically and the actual things that a coach can control it is worse.....wins and losses are horrible, same mistakes over and over year in and year out....recruiting is still in the 90s or worse for the most part, not a sniff of a bowl game, and I think this forum is more dead than ever, players are still leaving at a faster pace, and the stupid (right or wrong) "scandals" are still there.....grades are up, but I think that is more a university commitment VS the coach himself

the real issue with DD IMO is that he said things that UNT fans did not want to hear and still don't want to hear.....like there was not a simple fix, you were not going to move up and dominate year in and year out especially coming out of the Belt, financial and alumni support was horrible, and at that time the facilities needed massive improvements....you have to credit DD for the Mattress Mac donation as well which at the time was the largest donation to UNT athletics ever and one of if not the largest of any type of donation to UNT and it was all because of DD and his friend (anyone need a bedroom suite cheap we deliver!)

DD was a victim of over inflated fan expectations, fans not being realistic about the state of the program and the place the program occupied in the 120 D1-A schools, holdover apathy from the last several decades, and bad timing of poor health and a change in ADs that resulted in DD and RV starting off on bad footing and never getting their AD/Coach dancing with the stars grove back after that bad start

Todge is just the result of thinking it was going to be easy, bringing friends along for the ride because how much difference can HS VS college be, the Sunbelt gaining intra-conference parity, and the expectations that what the last guy had done was easy and anyone could do it again if they just cared instead of being angry at the fans

Edited September 22, 2010 by TodgeRodge

[untgirl04]

is the overall state of UNT athletics better now than under DD.....that would have to be a yes.....the vast improvements in facilities and the increased student support show this as well as the mens BB program success

does that have anything to do with Todge.....not at all....and as far as the football program specifically and the actual things that a coach can control it is worse.....wins and losses are horrible, same mistakes over and over year in and year out....recruiting is still in the 90s or worse for the most part, not a sniff of a bowl game, and I think this forum is more dead than ever, players are still leaving at a faster pace, and the stupid (right or wrong) "scandals" are still there.....grades are up, but I think that is more a university commitment VS the coach himself

the real issue with DD IMO is that he said things that UNT fans did not want to hear and still don't want to hear.....like there was not a simple fix, you were not going to move up and dominate year in and year out especially coming out of the Belt, financial and alumni support was horrible, and at that time the facilities needed massive improvements....you have to credit DD for the Mattress Mac donation as well which at the time was the largest donation to UNT athletics ever and one of if not the largest of any type of donation to UNT and it was all because of DD and his friend (anyone need a bedroom suite cheap we deliver!)

DD was a victim of over inflated fan expectations, fans not being realistic about the state of the program and the place the program occupied in the 120 D1-A schools, holdover apathy from the last several decades, and bad timing of poor health and a change in ADs that resulted in DD and RV starting off on bad footing and never getting their AD/Coach dancing with the stars grove back after that bad start

Todge is just the result of thinking it was going to be easy, bringing friends along for the ride because how much difference can HS VS college be, the Sunbelt gaining intra-conference parity, and the expectations that what the last guy had done was easy and anyone could do it again if they just cared instead of being angry at the fans

I agree for the most part with your first two paragraphs. But when you started talking about the 'real issue' with DD, you lost me. I was there for the Dickey years as a student, and the problem with him was not that he said those things, but that he didn't do anything to help fix them, and in fact, at times made it worse. I recall a practice where the Athletics Department advertised player autographs after the practice/scrimmage. After the practice was over, there were quite a few kids lining up to get autographs, and Dickey just herded his team right to the locker room. RV was furious, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do without getting into a shouting match right there in front of the fans (there was probably one later, though). Dickey constantly berated and belittled the fans, rather than focusing on encouraging them to attend games or give to the program. By contrast, under Dodge I've seen the players much more interactive with fans, and Dodge has most definitely thanked the fans for our support, while encouraging us to do more.

[TWISMUNT]

I agree for the most part with your first two paragraphs. But when you started talking about the 'real issue' with DD, you lost me. I was there for the Dickey years as a student, and the problem with him was not that he said those things, but that he didn't do anything to help fix them, and in fact, at times made it worse. I recall a practice where the Athletics Department advertised player autographs after the practice/scrimmage. After the practice was over, there were quite a few kids lining up to get autographs, and Dickey just herded his team right to the locker room. RV was furious, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do without getting into a shouting match right there in front of the fans (there was probably one later, though). Dickey constantly berated and belittled the fans, rather than focusing on encouraging them to attend games or give to the program. By contrast, under Dodge I've seen the players much more interactive with fans, and Dodge has most definitely thanked the fans for our support, while encouraging us to do more.

You've also only seen them win 5 games.....

[PHSCoach]

I agree for the most part with your first two paragraphs. But when you started talking about the 'real issue' with DD, you lost me. I was there for the Dickey years as a student, and the problem with him was not that he said those things, but that he didn't do anything to help fix them, and in fact, at times made it worse. I recall a practice where the Athletics Department advertised player autographs after the practice/scrimmage. After the practice was over, there were quite a few kids lining up to get autographs, and Dickey just herded his team right to the locker room. RV was furious, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do without getting into a shouting match right there in front of the fans (there was probably one later, though). Dickey constantly berated and belittled the fans, rather than focusing on encouraging them to attend games or give to the program. By contrast, under Dodge I've seen the players much more interactive with fans, and Dodge has most definitely thanked the fans for our support, while encouraging us to do more.

yea dd only got the money from Mac to build the Athletic Center, the day you are talking about the autographs the AD dept did not post anything in the locker room about this event. All of the players showed up for all events that they were aware of.

[untgirl04]

yea dd only got the money from Mac to build the Athletic Center, the day you are talking about the autographs the AD dept did not post anything in the locker room about this event. All of the players showed up for all events that they were aware of.

I was thinking about the scrimmage that was done along with the item collection for Katrina relief in 2005 - I think it was the Saturday that we were supposed to have the game at LSU, but it got postponed because of the hurricane. It may have been a few days later, but that's immaterial. There were signs up everywhere on campus advertising that there would be a scrimmage, and the players would be available for autographs for those who brought donation items. I was working on campus and going to grad school at the time, so I saw the posters myself. My husband and I were standing on the alumni side after the scrimmage, looking for a few autographs. I saw a few of the players start to head over, and Dickey called them all back and told them to head to the locker room.

I'm not suggesting that the players weren't willing to sign autographs. Based on my outsider observations and what I knew of the advertising, it appeared to me that the players knew about the event, but were kept from signing autographs. Maybe I misinterpreted what the players knew, but I know I didn't misinterpret the look RV gave Dickey, and the look he returned after the scrimmage.