Excitement

FloMoGrad · December 3, 2010

Granted, my history as a UNT fan is rather brief in the grand scheme of things, but from 99-present, have we ever had more to be excited about as UNT football fans?

I was caught up in the Todd Dodge hysteria, and truly believed he was set to change the face of the program. Even convinced some fellow alumns to eagle up for some season tickets and MGC club donations.

But as excited as I was, it was more hope and blind faith than it was true belief and assurance. Coach Mc represents the most decorated coach we've had since possibly Hayden Fry? They guy's coached on the biggest stages of college FB in the Big XII (X) and the SEC. Our new stadium is no longer a dream, but a tribute rising from the 17th and 18th fairways of my childhood? How impressive did it look from across the street at the Fouts Finale, definately had every K State fan I spoke with interested and admiring.

I have alums of A&M and Tech telling me how impressed they were with our coaching decision, which caught me off guard. But did anybody notice the quotes from Bob Stoops, Hayden Fry, Urban Meyer, Bill Snyder and Barry Alvarez in the president's email on the coaching hire? They were effusive in there praise of Coach Mc.

Forgive me if the green colored Kool-Aid flows a little freely, it's been a long season and I am steadfast an eternal optimist, but have we ever had more to be excited about as fans after such a dysmal performance?

Is anyone else feeling like we truly have reasons, not just hope and alumnist faith, to expect more from this program and this team? To expect to compete in our non-conference games and actually win 2-3 of them? To actually dominate our sunbelt competition and return to the days where the SunBelt title had to pass thru Denton?

For the first time ever, it feels like UNT has finally committed the time, money and emotion into building a program, the right way, from the ground up. And while it's taken nearly a decade and 3 head coaches, it finally feels like we're on the verge of doing something special and re-defining UNT football in it's entirety.

Damon

Green59 · December 3, 2010

+1

TodgeRodge · December 3, 2010

once I found out that Chico was going to work with the man I was so excited I wanted to drag my futon out into the lawn and soak it in gas and diesel fuel and set it alight

then I realized I don't have a futon :unsure:

TheTastyGreek · December 3, 2010

Granted, my history as a UNT fan is rather brief in the grand scheme of things, but from 99-present, have we ever had more to be excited about as UNT football fans?

The 26 game conference streak? The bowl games? The Big 12 upsets over Tech and Baylor? The year we had two national rushing champions returning to play in the same backfield?

Breaking news reports from Subway? Wait, scratch that last one.

Mean Green Matt · December 3, 2010

once I found out that Chico was going to work with the man I was so excited I wanted to drag my futon out into the lawn and soak it in gas and diesel fuel and set it alight

then I realized I don't have a futon

You're missing out...

TodgeRodge · December 3, 2010

You're missing out...

yea well I neglected to mention I was sleeping on a futon at the time.....but I still don't know who the hell it belonged to.....and I am glad I stopped dragging it at the front door :blink:

FloMoGrad · December 3, 2010

The 26 game conference streak? The bowl games? The Big 12 upsets over Tech and Baylor? The year we had two national rushing champions returning to play in the same backfield?

Breaking news reports from Subway? Wait, scratch that last one.

Not discounting any of the above, but even as a student, there was very little excitement for the conference streak. The win over Tech was a huge moment, but not something that fostered long term excitement and Baylor was terrible when we beat them. I'm not saying this is our biggest moment, or greatest period of time, just saying that I've never been more excited about the direction and shape our entire football program is taking. The year we had two national rushing champions returning to play in the same backfield we also still had no passing attack and nothing other than 2 players to get excited about, if I'm not mistaken (Scott Hall). Lance may not have a rushing title to his name, but is there a more exciting RB to watch? Dude consistenly puts up solid #'s in a pass first offense. We also proceeded to go 2-9 that year and 3-8 the next year, ending our conference streak and seasons of winning football... I don't remember being excited or as optimistic then as I am now.

Mean Green Matt · December 3, 2010

yea well I neglected to mention I was sleeping on a futon at the time.....but I still don't know who the hell it belonged to.....and I am glad I stopped dragging it at the front door

Big E · December 3, 2010

I share your excitement, FloMoGrad! As someone who has followed and supported this program since 1992, this is definitely the most support and "doing it the right way" I have seen from the administration!

LongJim · December 3, 2010

What's very encouraging and wonderful for the UNT program is that phrases like building competitive facilities, hiring the right people, allocating a competitive budget are no longer empty words, but have been delivered, and are now reality.

Edited December 3, 2010 by LongJim

Monkeypox · December 3, 2010

What's very encouraging and wonderful for the UNT program is that phrases like building competitive facilities, hiring the right people, allocating a competitive budget are no longer empty words, but have been delivered, and are now reality.

That's exactly why this excitement is different. You can feel all of this building. Facilities and salaries are all headed in the right direction. It's now more than a pipe dream that UNT could actually take that next step.

Green Lantern · December 3, 2010

Breaking news reports from Subway? Wait, scratch that last one.

Was it Subway or New York Sub? Either way, I think we can all agree that the forum has gone downhill since then. We just don't get those kinds of hard hitting scoops these days.

Cerebus · December 3, 2010

Was it Subway or New York Sub? Either way, I think we can all agree that the forum has gone downhill since then. We just don't get those kinds of hard hitting scoops these days.

With all the cell phone cams now I am glad we don't have those hard hitting scoops.

greenminer · December 4, 2010

Not discounting any of the above, but even as a student, there was very little excitement for the conference streak.

Speak for yourself

No players got me more amped for the game than Booger, Buckles, Jones, Cobbs and Co.

My friends and I were 10x mire giddy during the streak and bowl games. Heck, still get chills remembering Galbraith converting 1st downs to seal the Cinci win.

Until McCarney is winning games, this is nothing more than a splash hire.

Monkeypox · December 4, 2010

I'm way more excited now than I was during the conference win streak, because at the time I still didn't see us getting any better than the level we currently were. I loved the streak and the bowl win, but we failed to compete outside of the Sun Belt, our facilities were garbage, and we still had no real sign of commitment from the administration.

FloMoGrad · December 4, 2010

I'm way more excited now than I was during the conference win streak, because at the time I still didn't see us getting any better than the level we currently were. I loved the streak and the bowl win, but we failed to compete outside of the Sun Belt, our facilities were garbage, and we still had no real sign of commitment from the administration.

+1

untjim1995 · December 4, 2010

I'm way more excited now than I was during the conference win streak, because at the time I still didn't see us getting any better than the level we currently were. I loved the streak and the bowl win, but we failed to compete outside of the Sun Belt, our facilities were garbage, and we still had no real sign of commitment from the administration.

This post is the winner. Those years were defined by our domination of the Belt and going to the NO Bowl. All of those were great, especially considering how pitiful we were before and after this stretch. But most people looked at that time as this was the best we could do with our facilities and our salary restraints for coaches. We played in a toilet of a stadium and really never showed much in OOC games, with the exception of a few. If we had beaten TCU or Arizona or Air Force, it would have gotten some more attention here. But we lost to South Florida twice and Florida Atlantic OOC during our bowl run, so that always clouded things for most fans and media.

KRAM1 · December 4, 2010

Good things are happening for UNT's football and overall athletic programs!

FirefightnRick · December 4, 2010

No disrespect to anyone who see's this current time as being greater than our bowl years. But if that is so, then I suspect you were not around during the 1-AA, 1-A independent and Big West years. Because I and the rest here who were can tell you, once we got RV here and he started to open up the door to spirit/tailgating etc..., and we routed Baylor and then beat the C-USA co-Champions on National TV and read in Dave Campbell's Texas Football that North Texas was "getting the most done with the least than any other program in Texas" that most thought we were finally on our way.

Rick

KRAM1 · December 5, 2010

No disrespect to anyone who see's this current time as being greater than our bowl years. But if that is so, then I suspect you were not around during the 1-AA, 1-A independent and Big West years. Because I and the rest here who were can tell you, once we got RV here and he started to open up the door to spirit/tailgating etc..., and we routed Baylor and then beat the C-USA co-Champions on National TV and read in Dave Campbell's Texas Football that North Texas was "getting the most done with the least than any other program in Texas" that most thought we were finally on our way.

Rick

Yes...well stated!

Monkeypox · December 5, 2010

No disrespect to anyone who see's this current time as being greater than our bowl years. But if that is so, then I suspect you were not around during the 1-AA, 1-A independent and Big West years. Because I and the rest here who were can tell you, once we got RV here and he started to open up the door to spirit/tailgating etc..., and we routed Baylor and then beat the C-USA co-Champions on National TV and read in Dave Campbell's Texas Football that North Texas was "getting the most done with the least than any other program in Texas" that most thought we were finally on our way.

Rick

I was around for 1-AA and the Big West Days. In fact, that's when I was in school and went to every game. Even during the run, you could look at the bowl win against the Bearcats as the absolute highest high the program had. And that's how I felt at the time. Tailgaiting is great, but it's nothing like real coaching salaries and a new stadium. I have serious doubts that MOST of any group thought we were on our way to anything significant playing in the Sun Belt without competitive salaries for coaches and poor facilities. There's a big college football world out there, and we are just now scratching at the surface of having a real program.