mad dog
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GoMeanGreen.com
Posts posted by mad dog
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I think MeanMag is right on.
I know there's a lot of people attached to the Athletic Department and University and local media who roll their eyes when gmg.com is brought up. Right or wrong, we are painted as a group of immature, spoiled malcontents who offer uninformed opinions based on little or no evidence, spend a lot of time pretending we know what is going on, and knee-jerking at the first sign of trouble.
Even if you somehow buy that line, explain to me how this isn't the quickest and best marketing and promotions barometer available for the Athletics Department? How many companies would kill for a thriving online community like this: where, at any given point, you can see what your most consistent consumers feel about your product? In real-time? For free?
It is a great tool. It just needs to be viewed in the proper context.
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He must have gotten tired of playing for a 1-11 team.
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All of this is great, and I think it is awesome that people are getting excited. I don't want to speak for meanrob or others, but I think what we are saying is that there's very little a team can show us between now and Ball State that will change our minds. We've heard positivity for five years, and, at this point, they have no credit with me until they show that positivity translates to wins (or, at the very least, no blowout losses).
Is it good that others are excited? Yes!
Do we want UNT to have a great football team? Yes!
Will UNT actually have a great football team? Prove it September 3rd!
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Lechristopher? Really? I'd love to hear LeKram One and LeTasty Greek go point/counterpoint on this LeSigning.
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Creepy
Srsly. Jinx!
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Play him anyway.
Yeah! What's the worst that could happen?
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Anyone know where I can get a #44 jersey?
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Man... ditto what I said earlier. Great job to the Athletic Department putting this stuff together. Keep it coming!
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Nice feature. I always thought what hurt UNT's athletic department in its efforts to create compelling media was homerism to a Mickey Spagnola-like degree. Never mentioning obvious negatives really shoots your credibility in the foot, and I appreciated Howard and Bartolotta's candid admission about d-line deficiencies last year. I think I'll make a point of tuning in to their other broadcasts as the season gets closer.
Also... it had been a while since I saw Riley's end-around run. It shocked me how loosely he carried the football. I would hope that is either an aberration or he's learned to carry the ball high and tight since then.
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I have the same attitude about the Cowboy's chances for playoff success as I do about UNT's chances for regular season success. Junior Miller said it best: It is time to prove it. Both teams' credit as it relates to those objectives are shot with me. I'll root for them, but I'll buy into wholesale success when I see it, at this point.
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Now the only question is how tall Emmitt is???
My question exactly.
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1) Star Trek: TNG
2) How I Met Your Mother
3) Big Bang Theory
4) Mythbusters
5) Stargate: SG1
All of these have a strong dork factor. With good reason. I have been, and always shall be, a dork.
6) Chuck
7) Arrested Development
8) The Office
9) Star Trek: Enterprise
10) Man Vs. Wild
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I gotta say... i finally knuckled under and bought it. I've been nothing but impressed with it. There's an element of strategy that was totally missing from previous iterations which makes for a compelling and addictive gameplay experience.
I'm in the second season of a UNT dynasty. The second game was away at Clemson (ranked #18) on a rainy afternoon. Since your players actually play to the weather (fumble more / catch worse when it is wet), I went to the "strategy" screen and told my offensive players to hang on to the ball (more ball security, fewer broken tackles), and concentrate on making the catch (higher catch chance, fewer broken tackles). On Defense, I told my guys to go for the strip (higher strip chance, higher facemask penalty chance), wrap up (fewer big hits, better tackling), and to jump the snap (better QB pressure, more offsides).
Once the game started, I noticed immediately that Clemson was playing the pass. Their line was jumping the snap, their safeties were dropping deep, and using a lot of zone coverage. I countered with a healthy dose of Dunbar and Mosely. As I started marching down the field with 5 and 6 yard gains, the defense slowly started adapting. The d-line started pinching in, linebackers played closer and closer to their gaps, safeties crept up to about five yards off the line. I saw more and more blitzes. Then I hit them over the top with a 30 yard pass to Sam Roberson.
This year's version of the game has a really neat "setup play" feature. This works when you run certain plays (say, an I-form HB iso) which have complimentary plays (an I-form playaction pass). The more successful you are at running the setup play, the better chance you have at pulling off the complimentary play. So, in this case, Clemson's defense completely bit on a playaction fake, and there wasn't anyone within 15 yards of Roberson when he caught the ball.
Once I had the lead, I switched all my strategies to conservative and gradually built on the lead. As they got further and further behind, they were forced to throw deep into the teeth of a cover three, which resulted in a lot of pass breakups and two interceptions. When I had the ball, i switched on the "chew clock" option, which quickly runs the play clock down to about 10-12 seconds on each play. In this way, I could eat up time on each drive, and dramatically shorten the game.
I ended up winning 28-17, and it was immensely satisfying.
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I don't think there are any questions about the guys we've got here. The talent is there, and even the younger guys have some good experience.
The only concern I have about the running game is how effective we can be with it out of the shotgun if the passing game struggles.
This.
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I agree to a point. Where many go over the line with their expectations of Riley, I go overboard in my expectations of Mike Nelson. Therefore, I expect that he will have our front line, even the new guys, breathing fire. He always did a Iowa State, whether the players were new or veteran, he had the ready from the gun. Remember, he had a DL at Iowa State who had over 100 tackles as a true freshman. I think Nelson will be more than able to get his JUCOs set from the start. The newcomers on the offensive side of the ball...well, they won't be benefitting from the same type of coaching the new defensive players will be getting.
As for the special teams, too much emphasis is being placed on the punter. Everyone else returns. Our place kicker has a strong leg. We've got excellent deep snappers. Even though our return game was dicey last year, they are another year more experienced. And, they are all coming back to Shelton Gandy, not Robert Drake.
Hear me now, believe me later - the special teams and defense are going to be much better with the new coaches.
Let me back up and say one more thing about Robert Drake. I've banged on that guy alot. Maybe too much. But, the deal is, you rarely see special teams guys also coaching the defensive line. Maybe you can pull it off in high school. But, I'd don't think I'd ever seen it in college before Dodge came to UNT. Usually, you have a guy who is special teams/tight ends coach. But...well...you know the story there.
The main thing is, the special teams coaches normally don't have as many "regular" players to coach as Drake did in addition to their special teams duties. In fact, many schools these day have two defensive line coaches - one for the ends, and one for the interior linemen. So...maybe it wasn't Drake's fault so much as it was the guy who put him in charge of, basically, three different units. Again, you may be able to have a guy take on three unit at the high school level. But, well...you know what I'm saying.
Either way, don't underestimate Nelson and Gandy. Those two guys will have their guys getting it done from Game One.
You make a great case for Nelson, and I hope you are right. I disagree with you on special teams, though.
I have no faith in the kicking unit, which ranked dead last in the NCAA (78.6%) in PATs, and a full six percentage points behind the next closest team (Western Kentucky at 84%). I have significant concerns with both punt and kickoff coverage units, which ranked 110th and 120th, respectively. Punt (112) and kickoff (115) returns weren't much better. The reason I place so much emphasis on the punter was because it was far and away the brightest spot on the squad (ranked 30th nationally). Losing the one money guy on your special teams, from a simple statistics standpoint, is going to dramatically decrease the performance of the squad when viewed as a whole.
The only way for me to justify ranking them any higher is to take some unknown aspect (new recruits, player development, strength of coaching) on credit, which I am unprepared to do. I keep expecting this tweak or that tweak to make the kind of impact you're talking about, and I've been disappointed year after year. I'm not saying you are wrong, I'm just saying I'm all out of faith, and I'll need to see it to believe it. (I admit I'm a little jaded at this point).
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I agree that you shouldn't put big expectations on players until they have proven it on the field. However, to look at every unproven player as a big bag of nothing is leaning too far to the negative. Every year different players step up and fill holes. Alot of that depends on the players surrounding the new guys.
I think that when you look at this team coming into the 2009 season, there are at least 3 bright spots to look forward to that definitely were not there last year. Our offensive line, our RBs, and our LBers. Those are relative strengths going into the season that we just didn't have going into last season. We KNOW what those guys can do, whereas last year about the only returning bright spot was our punter. This season, we also return more proven letterman on defense. I think that the relative strength of our oline and running backs should make things easier on our QB, and potentially the passing game as a whole. I don't think that it is unreasonable to expect that the QB position will be better simply b/c you can expect him to be better protected this season. That goes for whoever is playing the position.
I see what you are saying, and acknowledge that not every player is going to have a bag going into their first year. Where I'm coming from is that you can probably safely bank on one or two players coming through as playmakers, but expecting every trouble spot to be fixed by unproven players is, in my opinion, somewhat naive. When most of what I see from people is that "hey we signed this guy at punter, and these guys at WR, and these guys on the DL," I just say tap the brakes a little, because you're still going to have a ton of holes. Does that make any sense?
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Reading through a lot of these points, it seems that those who claim positivity across multiple categories base most of their conclusions on conjecture, at best.
Recruits, even if highly touted, have a big bag of nothing until they can prove it on the field. To be honest, kids more often than not will fizzle after getting to campus. How many difference makers do we currently have on the team? Of those, how many were difference makers during their first year playing? It would be a tremendous statistical anomaly to have new guys show up and contribute at every position of need. Very few of these guys, historically speaking, turn into impact players. I used to have an easy time looking at incoming freshmen and jucos with Pollyanna eyes, thinking that we just recruiting "the class" that will turn things around. I just got tired of looking for them every year and never finding them.
Likewise, there's no way you can "replace" a proven all-conference caliber punter with, frankly, some dude who at this point is nothing more than a new name. Is there a chance he might show up and become our beloved mush mouthed Coach Joe? Yes, but there is also a chance we run the Belt and show up in New Orleans again: I'm just not betting on it. Likewise spending a scholarship on a punter is nice, but that's not getting better. Speed on special teams is nice, but that doesn't make you a great returner. Even if it did, you're still dependent upon the other 10 return team guys to open holes for you, which happened with stunning irregularity last year.
The only thing I'm comfortable accepting on credit alone is that the coaching staff will be improved, and that is based on specific examples from Coach Dodge on how he is tweaking his offense and Coach DeLoach's proven track record at North Texas.
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These are the only two mild disagreements I have with your writeup. I don't think you can discount the significant hit we took in the receiver corps. All we can rely on here is optimism and potential... I think calling the passing game a push, given the growing pains and risks associated with Riley and the total dependence on new or unproven talent... That's not realistic. I think that we'll see a drop in the passing game. Or at least that we need to expect it.
I also think you're being a little too pessimistic on defense. I believe we'll see a return to the Bleil level of performance this year. Adequate. But adequate is a pretty big gain.
I can see where you're coming from, and agree with you to a certain extent. I think I may have been a little too light on the hit to our receiving corps, but I think that I think the offensive line, from an experience and growth standpoint, is certainly nothing to sneeze at. If I were to re-evaluate, I might grade the passing a little lower.
We'll have to agree to disagree on the defense. There are parts that are good, but one weak position in a defense will kill you. If you have one bad receiver, you don't have to throw to him, or throw at all. If you have a bad corner, teams are going to key in on them all night long. If you have have question marks at defensive end, one tackle spot, one linebacker spot, a cornerback spot, and both safety spots... That's where I'm coming from.
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Exactly. I'm not saying some aspects about next year won't be better than last year. Individually, there are elements to be excited about, but, taken as a whole, I can't bring myself to be optimistic about our chances for even a .500 season.
Start from the obvious: we were clearly the worst team in the FBS last year. Offense was inconsistent and struggled; defense was flat out terrible. For me to belive that our record will substantively improve next year would necessitate an overall net positive gain. The problem isn't that there aren't things that are going to be better; it is that there are several things that are going to be worse, as well.
Passing game:
Positive: Our offensive line is bigger, stronger, and more experienced than last year. Kelvin Drake returns. Tight end sets will give QB some added protection. Tyler Statford may be eligible.
Negative: Brand new quaterback whose inexperience at the college level cannot be discounted. Quaterback is small and, based on the past two years, somewhat fragile, and will require additional protection. Even assuming terrific pass protection (which is something of a leap at this time), he will still need to work harder to find passing lanes.
Overall: Push. An undersized, inexperienced QB, especially one in his first year, is almost always a liability in the passing game. Despite improved protection, it is still up to him to make plays. That remains to be seen if it can happen.
Running game:
Positive: See above with offensive line. Several different options at runner who offer widely varying skill sets. All are proven in game situations and can deliver if given the chance.
Negative: This will require committment from the coaching staff to truly contribute to the team. Through two seasons, there has been very limited offensive adjustment in a broad sense, and so there are questions if such a commitment is possible.
Overall: Push. All the talent in the world won't matter if they aren't properly used. I do not believe a coaching staff designed around the shotgun pass can suddenly and dramatically morph into a run first team, especially when the coach's son is under (several feet behind?) center.
Special Teams:
Positive: New coach and "emphasis" on special teams.
Negative: Loss of a effective punter. No significant roster moves to address last year's woes.
Overall: Loss. Everything which can be said positively is based solely on conjecture. In this case, any substantive negative factor would swing this towards loss. Gandy might be the Hayden Fry of special teams: he'll need to be just to get a pulse out of a unit that is exactly the same as last year, minus your best special teams player.
Defense:
Positive: Addressed size concerns along the defensive line. Still a relatively young unit, but starting to get some multi-year lettermen. Secondary has some speed. Full year for DeLoach to put his stamp on the defense.
Negative: Starting a defense end at tackle, and a linebacker at defensive end. Secondary speed doesn't matter if you're going to bite on playaction or play out of position. Some question marks at OLB.
Overall: Push. There is undeniably some improvement on paper, and DeLoach definitely knows what he is doing. It is just a case of getting the horse to drink now that you've led it to water. Given the past few seasons, however, I think the horse is dehydrated and leaning towards death.
Coaching:
Positive: Dodge has implemented several new offensive wrinkles designed to adapt to the demands of college game. Has acknowledged special teams and will try to make that more of a priority. Brought in more experienced coaching staff and added a full time strength position. DeLoach is proven and will eventually whip his guys into shape.
Negative: All the potential in the world and a buck fifty will get you a cup of coffee. Now they must justify their potential with results.
Overall: Gain. I believe the coaching staff has learned its lessons. Whether or not they can adjust and improve remains to be seen. But all the factors are in place for me to believe coaching will be better in 09.
Overall, these five areas put the entire next season as a push. I do not expect them to be worse, but I do not expect them to be better, either.
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I'll be there, but my bride have already left for Germany and Noway on another boondoggle trip of her's where I wasn't invited. I think maybe she has a thing for Olaf or Frans or something!!!!
GO MEAN GREEN!
Seems like an awfully Green Grenade line to me...
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I know you were disappointed with Vizza's sophomore season. I didn't think it was great statistically, but in my opinion the offensive struggles weren't due to him. You've already said he was good, but disappointing ("sophomore jinx").
The question isn't whether the quarterback makes a difference in the offense. The question is whether the NEW quarterback will be a differencemaker compared to the LAST quarterback. Given that the last QB was good, performed well, and was a pretty damn good leader... How much of a difference can Riley make EVEN IF he comes in and plays lights out from the very first game? We're hoping for an incremental step up at a position of relative strength, not a dramatic infusion of talent and ability at one of our weak spots.
Put another way... Let's say that Riley is so much better and more effective at running this offense that he dramatically increases our point totals. Last year, we averaged about 20 points per game. Let's say that Riley is so much better than Vizza, from day one, that he comes in and singlehandedly bumps up our scoring by 50% per game. Hell, make it eleven points, because Riley hypothetically turns a dead drive into a touchdown and a red zone field goal into a TD. Net gain, 11 points in every game last year.
What does that do for us? It gets us one more win, against Arkansas State in the final game of the year. Super Riley turns us into a 2-10 team again.
Or hey, let's say that Riley is so much better than Vizza that he singlehandedly DOUBLES our scoring average. In every single game, we score 20 more points. Now, we're AVERAGING 40 ppg because Riley is such a phenom. Last year, this would put us in the top 8 in the NCAA, less than a point per game behind Texas Tech.
Adding 20 points to each game would have transformed last year's team into... A 3-9 team.
That's my point. Even if Riley, as a freshman, comes in this year and dramatically outshines Vizza (and I'm not personally holding the poor kid to those sort of expectations, and certainly not at the beginning of the year) to the point where he doubles what a Vizza led offense generated... Even if the kid is so amazing as a redshirt freshman that he could outshine our already talented (remember the accolades Vizza earned?) quarterback to the point where he makes us a top 8 scoring offense... We're still only a 3 win team.
But I do agree that using a tight end, maybe even a fullback and a snap-under-center in the red zone, would help this team score more.
Probably some of the best analysis I've seen in a year.
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I am getting plenty these days.
+1?
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Cumulus doesn't care to throw around just compensation.
The power of radio...
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God you are stupid. That was an obvious joke with you with no mean-spiritedness that excluded your past and you still couldn't handle it. Of course she paid the tickets, but if that money goes to SMU, they might use the funds to slash our metaphorical tires and get Rivals to pick us #120. Isn't it time for CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE!!!>?!1111!!!11!!!!
But, since you asked:
Hey everyone, we made a satire thread about how to handle minorities because eulesseagle tends to post racist diatribes and links to white supremicist web sites. We thought doing the same thing "just in fun" that seems to to protect so many others would highlight the accetpance of this crap. We have had all of the moderators apologize to us publically and privately. Meanwhile, you continue to be a joke both within and beyond this forum.
Now that the mea culpa is out, there goes my magical internet joke credibility -- you win this round!
And you can never ask anyone to move beyond stormfront or any other crap you have ever posted again. It's more fun this way to us anyway, so the only loser in this will be you (well, and all of us for posting here in the first place.)
I loves me some Tina. Even if she's dead.
Also Takeaknee.net > stormfront.org.
Church.
I Love This Story...
in Mean Green Football
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Where I can find a better, quicker, and cheaper barometer?
It might not be a representative sample of all people who are connected with UNT. But I think you can find a pretty good representative sample of those who are buying your product. Current fans, potential fans, alumni, students, faculty, parents, Denton residents: you can find all of them here. Or is there another overaching demographic that I'm missing?