A Star Telegram Recruiting Article With A TCU Co-Ghostwriter?

[PlummMeanGreen]

Yes, must have had a TCU co-ghostwriter helping Travis L. Brown write this article.

It is very pro-TCU and very anti-North Texas and SMU (as well as UT-Austin).

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/05/5544440/recruiting-confidential.html?rh=1

GMG!

Edited February 7, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[untjim1995]

I saw this, too...it just illustrates the huge advantage that TCU has being in FW with their own media outlet. Just about all of this would make you think that the Aggies and Frogs were equals right now, which couldn't be further from the truth.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I liked Emmitt's comments from another separate thread that I thought I'd put it on this thread, too.

untjim1995, I agree with your thoughts. Having been around these parts since the early 70's and knowing TCU's history during their last 25 years in the SWC, I think the Big 12's true Big Boys will be frying up a bunch of Frog Legs during the next 25 years in their conference. Just sayin'...

Emmitt's comments:

From a coach referenced in that Startlegram article about recruiting...

“[The player] was undersized and not on anyone’s ‘Top 100’ list. Very few offers from mid-majors. One day OU shows up, offers, and by the end of spring ball, [the player] was on everyone’s list, had offers coast-to-coast. He was no better player than earlier in the spring, but the OU offer catapulted him into the recruiting stratosphere.”

Seems coaches are no more immune to the hype than Rivals or Scout

Edited February 7, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[wardly]

In retail sales the view is that if one person complains there are 10 others who feel the same way but don't say anything. What difference does it make who wrote the article. Where there is smoke there is usually fire.

[PlummMeanGreen]

In retail sales the view is that if one person complains there are 10 others who feel the same way but don't say anything. What difference does it make who wrote the article. Where there is smoke there is usually fire.

Whatever our present UNT coaches status are in the article's writer and the recruiting guru's view, it is still head and shoulders above where its been most my adult life of following this program

Just maybe the recruiting experts is more pissed that North Texas is not giving him the time of day, somewhat like SMU and UT-Austin as well ?

We just had one of the best recruiting classes since I graduated and I say that after looking at most all of our recruit's videos.

I live out here in the West O' Plex and I assure you TCU is doing all they can to posture themselves as "The College Football Team of the DFW Metroplex." And no, that is not being paranoid, either, its just being quite factual.

Even the TCU HFC Patterson has said that being this Metroplex's college football would be something TCU should shoot for but as I emailed the WBAP Morning Show guys (TCU propagandist Hal Jay) and their TCU football broadcaster (Brian Estridge) after they were blowin' and goin' on about TCU so that very morning I'd had enough and sent an email to TCU play by play guy and WBAP Morning Show personality Brian Estridge with a cc to his WBAP collegue Hal Jay and it saying something to the effect of:

Tell your TCU Coach Patterson that one helluva' sea of green which featured 35,000 Mean Green fans at the Cotton Bowl Stadium on New Years Day at the HOD Bowl game is going to shoot down his pipe dream for TCU to be: "The Metroplex's College Football Team." (Tell Coach Pat' to stick with Fort Worth after looking at a halftime pic of your Kansas game at ACS with so few fans for a Big 12 game).

I then said to the WBAP Morning Show boys in the email how gutless TCU was in not playing North Texas for almost 35 years and only seemed to schedule the Mean Green when we were either classified NCAA D1-AA or in one of our losing cycles.

In the email I expanded on the reason TCU would not play our 1950's era Abner Haynes and Sun Bowl team and that because North Texas did the right thing in the 50's and integrated--first in Texas and probably the South for that matter One old timer ex professor from North Texas (now deceased) who'd know told me in a classroom how TCU had dropped North Texas off the Mean Green schedule because we had integrated; then how TCU certainly would never schedule us during the Mean Joe Greene era which featured 3 #1's & mulitiple NFL draft choices and how they ignored scheduling the Mean Green during the Hayden Fry era, either.

______________________________________

The TCU WBAP Morning Show guys did not respond in kind (and I really kept my email very kind....but quite specific).

ON ANOTHER NOTE &...................The Mean Green Radio Network:

I've listened to both the TCU Network football broadcast team and certainly our MGRN fooball broadcast team. While the TCU radio network team wins awards for their work I'm not really sure why our own broadcast team from the MGRN have not because they are as good and as professional as TCU's in my opinion. In fact, our MGRN broadcast team is better than some of the hayseeds which used to comprise the old Exxon SWC radio network for what it's worth. (I did sorta' like UH's Gene Elston back in the day, though, before the Coogs joined the SWC).

GMG!

Edited February 8, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[wardly]

TCU has 30,000 season ticket holders, so they are not going away, and will recruit up to the level of Big 12 conference, just as we will in CUSA.We last played @ TCU in 2002, losing 10-16. We had lost 5-19 in 2001.

[FirefightnRick]

I laughed my ass off the other morning when I read that TCU AD Del Conte told supporters that in regards to financial resources TCU is the Oakland Athletics of the Big 12...

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/03/5537219/chris-del-conte-tcu-is-oakland.html?rh=1

Two or Three? years ago, of all the bowl-playing teams TCU was the 10th wealthiest program of that group.

They raised $200 plus Million in a matter of days with a few phone calls for the Amon Carter renovation, and are about to do the same with their basketball facility.

Oakland Athletics, Ha!... Too funny!

Rick

Edited February 8, 2014 by FirefightnRick

[PlummMeanGreen]

TCU has 30,000 season ticket holders, so they are not going away, and will recruit up to the level of Big 12 conference, just as we will in CUSA.We last played @ TCU in 2002, losing 10-16. We had lost 5-19 in 2001.

Yet how many "W's" would TCU have had during those decades they would not touch us with a 10 foot pole or play us, wardly? Would have been a great time for North Texas to have padded its "all time series W's" against TCU, now wouldn't it?

TCU since the modern era of the NCAA (1950's and on) has always known when to schedule us and when not to schedule us. Well, for almost 35 years they would not schedule the Mean Green. I personally hope as members of the Big 12 they get their little Froggie asses handed to them on a silver platter; much like was their plight the last quarter century they were in the SWC playing the true Big Boys.

GMG!

Edited February 8, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[wardly]

We are in violent agreement. TCU won't schedule us anymore, and neither will Baylor nor Texas Tech.Texas will on occasion at home only.

[PlummMeanGreen]

We are in violent agreement. TCU won't schedule us anymore, and neither will Baylor nor Texas Tech.Texas will on occasion at home only.

Oh hell, wardly, I know we are!

GMG!

[ragpicker]

I just wish Denton County supported the Mean Green as enthusiastically as Tarrant County supports the Frogs. With all of the pro sports (oxymoron) around here, TCU still maintains a loyal fan base in Ft. Worth. We need that kind of fan base and if we continue to be successful and come up with some good creative marketing perhaps we will.

[FirefightnRick]

I just wish Denton County supported the Mean Green as enthusiastically as Tarrant County supports the Frogs. With all of the pro sports (oxymoron) around here, TCU still maintains a loyal fan base in Ft. Worth. We need that kind of fan base and if we continue to be successful and come up with some good creative marketing perhaps we will.

Yup.... They are a loyal group alright.

Rick

Edited February 8, 2014 by FirefightnRick

[wardly]

Rick, who was this game against? Just asking. Thanks, Ward

[PlummMeanGreen]

Rick, who was this game against? Just asking. Thanks, Ward

WW:

Rick probably wouldn't mind me answering by telling you that that was the TCU/Kansas Jayhawk game at ACS this last Fall. I believe that picture was taken at half time (or there is another similar pic that was).

As you would recall, much of the 70's (before and even after) TCU and other SWC private schools depended on much of their home attendance numbers with SWC opponent's traveling fans of which we at North Texas never had such a luxury, ie, UT, TAMU, Texas Tech, Arkansas and even Baylor traveled pretty darn good once Grant Teaff took over the Bear's football program back in 1972.

Based on what we all saw on New Years Day at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium, though, I wish we would soon begin some kind of Apogee expansion talks because what if all 35,000 MG bowl fans showed up on a Game Day at our campus stadium and they saw there was not enough seats (least of all outlet roads and parking) to handle the upsurge?

The aforementioned statement not mean't to start a fire-storm of "we need to fill Apogee Stadium 30 X's in a row before we do that" posts, but merely stating that like those mega churches who seem to build much larger churches (almost AAC-like venues) than most would think they would; that is, since many congregations such as Dallas' Prestonwood Baptist Church that go to the suburbs (Plano/Frisco?) and do build venues about 4X's the size of the ones that left behind in the Dallas because they know the growth demographics of their new location indicated that they should. And then we have UNT, Denton and Denton County's expected future growth demographics? Well, as Coach Mac would say...."Are you kidding me?"

Sunday AM Addendum:

We built Apogee at 30,750 because we apparently thought we'd be in the Sun Belt Conference for just about forever and we also didn't seem to do any serious studies at the time on how future re-alignment could affect our future or................ even our future growth on campus, Denton and Denton County.

Easy to say this now, but we should have started at an initial 35K capacity at Apogee since we saw a glimpse of what could be a much larger fan base none of us had seen before on New Years Day at the Cotton Bowl. 35K should now be the projected fan base that we should now want to add to those numbers significantly. (Growth is happening in our area for those who are still living in or just can't get out of our UNT past)

Our growth projections indicate that would have been a no-brainer. Still............we just don't think that way at North Texas at the present time and it's costing us future revenues along with very probable much higher profile non-conference home games in Denton (UT-Austin?) because of it. Traveling "full ticket price paying" fans from such schools could really help North Texas fund a 1 or 2 of our non-revenue varsity sports could be another way to look at it, too, and would not that be another way to look at it?

GMG!

PS: Don't Forget To Celebrate Abraham Lincoln' Birthday This Week! He Was A Great President In More Ways Than One...

Edited February 9, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[wardly]

If memory serves,and it might not, we started out with a 36,000 seat stadium for $32 million. China host Olympics and price of steel and concrete skyrockets.In addition, we get few major donors, and only have about $6 million in cash and pledges. By the time we get our act together, we are looking at $70million+ for a 30,000 seat stadium, which we have yet to fill.Now that we have a much better product on the field, I hope attendance will rise. One of the differences between a major program such as LSU and UNT, is that fans come to see the Tigers play, while at North Texas fans come to see who the Eagles play.

[untjim1995]

If memory serves,and it might not, we started out with a 36,000 seat stadium for $32 million. China host Olympics and price of steel and concrete skyrockets.In addition, we get few major donors, and only have about $6 million in cash and pledges. By the time we get our act together, we are looking at $70million+ for a 30,000 seat stadium, which we have yet to fill.Now that we have a much better product on the field, I hope attendance will rise. One of the differences between a major program such as LSU and UNT, is that fans come to see the Tigers play, while at North Texas fans come to see who the Eagles play.

This.

But that is not just a Denton-only phenomenon. Unless your team is really good or already a traditional power, getting a big crowd for your stadium almost always depends on the team you are bringing in. Its that way at every non-AQ league and many AQ outposts, as well. Hell, that TCU-KU pic told the world that nobody cares to watch a bad TCU team play an even worse Kansas team. Now, if TCU was undefeated as they were a few years ago, that stadium doesn't look like that picture at all. That is where being a big winner helps that. Now, TCU gets a big crowd because Texas or OU come to town, which is just like it was in the SWC days--when they eventually got dumped from schools like the aforementioned, since they brought nothing to the table. Baylor is the same way--sure, when they are great, they get a huge crowd. When they host UT or OU, they get a big crowd. But when they are going 3-9 again, lets see how many people are sitting in Baylor's new stadium when they are playing Wofford in a non-conference game.

At non-AQ schools like SMU, UH, and all the other CUSA and SBC schools, the opponent determines the crowd. It just does. When SMU and UNT play each other or when UH and Rice play each other, those crowds are bigger than normal because of proximity. But when SMU plays Memphis or UH plays UConn, their crowd isn't any different than us playing a home game against Middle Tennessee or Texas State playing Louisiana-Lafayette. Those games bring in somewhere between 10k to 20k, just depending on the circumstances surrounding the game. Our biggest attended games at Apogee have been with opponents from the state (UH and UTEP) and the circumstances (opening game for UH, Homecoming during a winning season against UTEP) got us big crowds of over 26k. But the circumstances are the key when the opponent isn't anyone that most people want to see play--the weather, your position in conference play, other big sporting events going on at the same time...

For our lifetimes, we have been completely locked out of playing the big guys in this state and region, most of it being the fault of the conference powers tot he south, but also a big chunk because our administration either didn't care about stirring things up against those powers or because they just flat out loathed athletics (maybe both, actually). And as much as CUSA is a step-up for us on the college football ladder, we still are nowhere near being able to play anyone of major note at Apogee on a decent basis, unless you call SMU and Army significant, which I don't, although I am glad we have series scheduled with both. I just believe that the current seating at Apogee will be in place for a long time, because the reality is that there are probably only a hand full of games that will come close to drawing over 25k in any given year. This year, it will be SMU, but nobody else will come close to seeing a crowd like this at Apogee--not Nicholls State, FAU, FIU, La Tech, or Southern Miss. You'll know its time to expand when conference games at Apogee consistently bring in crowds of 25k.

I still believe that the fanbase DESERVES a big OOC name as often as possible. You cannot convince me that teams like Colorado, Nebraska, or Mizzou wouldn't love to get a game in Texas again--Mizzou doesn't play A&M every year in SEC play. I also think a team like BYU or Boise State would love to come down here, too. I'd call some of the ACC teams and see if they would want to come here, too, especially a team like Miami, since they have fallen back of late and would love to get some Texas kids to look their way again. I just think its gonna take winning divisions and the conference AND beating people that media and non-chalant fans care about. It starts this year with UT in Austin and goes from there. It may be sad, but we are not any different when it comes to this reality than any other non-AQ or non-power AQ school. Attendance is determined by who comes to town.

[PlummMeanGreen]

(the "way it is" from untjim1995's above post)

"Hell, that TCU-KU pic told the world that nobody cares to watch a bad TCU team play an even worse Kansas team. Now, if TCU was undefeated as they were a few years ago, that stadium doesn't look like that picture at all. That is where being a big winner helps that. Now, TCU gets a big crowd because Texas or OU come to town, which is just like it was in the SWC days--when they eventually got dumped from schools like the aforementioned, since they brought nothing to the table. Baylor is the same way--sure, when they are great, they get a huge crowd. When they host UT or OU, they get a big crowd. But when they are going 3-9 again, lets see how many people are sitting in Baylor's new stadium when they are playing Wofford in a non-conference game."

_____________________________________

GMG!

PS: But wouldn't it be nice if "public university" U of North Texas with more enrollment and regional alums than you can shake a stick at could be different and have SRO's no matter who we played?

Edited February 10, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen