[7.21.23 "Who Am I"]

Disclosure: the hint is googleable. Penn Relays were a really big deal back in the day. North Texas State shows up a few times in its records.

 

GMG

[7.21.23 "Who Am I"]

Olvis Hicks

 

GMG

[You heard it here first]

If the financial support is worthy, I don't care what he who will pay it wants to call it.

 

GMG

[Not football related, but indulge me]

The trophy icon says Thanks. The one I give says thanks for your service, but really means you are a Winner. There are a couple of folks on this board that earn, not type, the title of Winner. You are one.

 

GMG

[University of North Texas can charge out-of-state students higher tuition than undocumented Texans, appeals court rules]

"Undocumented folks in the country illegally" are more important to a country that can't maintain or grow its population without undocumented folks who are let into the country illegally. As the story goes. Or with a population incentivized, or at least enabled, not to contribute.

However you feel about that issue, demand your elected pols enforce its laws, or change them.

 

GMG

[Fine Playing Right Now]

But wow....couldn't tell from the story. Did Mason play the entire game?

 

GMG

[Fine Playing Right Now]

[Would it be better not to announce our commits on this board?]

Reasonable debate. I'd like to get opinions from players family to confirm. That said, every single commit thread these days gets derailed along the lines discussed. Same thing on Twitter threads, which is a bit more publicly accessible.

 

GMG

[Would it be better not to announce our commits on this board?]

You may be right....maybe it is me that finds the practice off putting. 

Wonder if any current player parents would be comfortable providing their point of view.

 

GMG

[Would it be better not to announce our commits on this board?]

In the olden days, we found out about commits by newspaper (used today mostly to line bird cages and wrap fish).

But posted on an online message board, a commitment announcement becomes a triggering event for the fragile and insecure, very upsetting somehow. Or a trolling opportunity.

Griping about the quality of offers or that the commit will likely end up somewhere else. Prospect, family and hometown fans must really appreciate the warm welcome. Not helping the cause, IMHO.

And the same folks that complain about lack of offers will "I told you so" when the P5s offer, and the commit goes elsewhere.

Seeing a commitment announcement should make a fan happy. Be joyful. Trust your coaches and recruiters. If a commit later decides to go elsewhere, fair game to erupt (sad that you feel you have to express your pain on a message board, but fair game). But at least your school was given a shot. We had a chance.

 

Isn't a commitment, win or lose, better than losing an offered recruit who never committed, to one of the 20 P5's on his offer list? Nah.

 

Flame on.

GMG

[Nice Media Swag from UNT]

If it is season ticket holder swag, I will give away the Nike shirt to anyone that wants it.

 

GMG

[Why do we care about Commits in the age of NIL & the Portal?]

I think it is ok to not care. Talk uniform combinations, future conference alignments and whether black is the new green instead.

I will raise an eyebrow and toast the potential, then celebrate after they sign. And raise an eyebrow in a different matter and sulk for a half a minute when we get a decommit or someone enters the portal.

IMHO, to question every commit in the actual thread is like telling the recruit you don't trust him, you have no self confidence in our ability to keep him, that he is likely just using it as a place holder until the big guys call. Also it takes attention away from the recruit and the joy he, his family and friends may have in making a big decision.

 

How about reserving a separate thread where the skeptical can make their case without disrupting from what should be a positive thread, until the recruit proves otherwise.

 

GMG

[Desoto OL Decommits from North Texas]

Anyone with the mindset of "I will sit on the bench anywhere rather than make an impact anywhere" isn't who you want. Unless of course they are paying him righteous bucks to practice a lot. I suspect this guy will play anywhere he signs. Hope it works out for him.

 

GMG

[Breaking: North Shore WR Christopher Barnes Commits for North Texas]

First post positive. Thread deteriorates to we can only hope we beat a JC out to get him.

 

GMG

[North Texas "Finds"]

This team does pretty well. And is mostly Green to boot.

Anyone want to join me in buying one of those shirts (they need a few commits to produce more)?

GMG

[North Texas "Finds"]

Those were made by "creators" that only know what they see on social media and Stadium. So cheer for the green and black.

 

GMG

[Athletics State of the Department is Tonight]

I think the strategy is if they show enough interest to get in at any price, they get on a mailing list. It is up to our folks to engage them, interest them, motivate them and build a relationship with them before they become billionaires. 

 

GMG

[Athletics State of the Department is Tonight]

One last thing (I think): Jared took at least 45 minutes of questions, and he also entertained one-offs after the program. A handful of answers were pretty much just like you would expect, i.e. political. But honestly, I learned a lot at this meeting and appreciate the transparency.

 

GMG

[Moh Bility is in the portal]

 

Will likely end up at Middle. His brother Hill plays there.

 

GMG

[Athletics State of the Department is Tonight]

When you add a men's sport, you have to add enough women's sports to be Title IX compliant, and all the ancillary personnel that those imply. The support space we have for athletics right now, i.e. weight rooms, study halls, etc, is already beyond max capacity. Won't fund more humans until there is space to support them.

BTW, softball is getting new dugouts and a clubhouse at a pretty hefty cost. All that money has been set aside to fund it, and will be done before next season. So the $20m ask all goes to the new athletics hub.

GMG

[Athletics State of the Department is Tonight]

Thanks GJ.

On the parking, the access points into the stadium are limited for car flow and will be until Bonnie Brae is expanded. He provided charts as to the choke points happen, almost all within an 30 minutes to an hour of kickoff. It is complicated by folks that come up to the lot and decide they don't want to pay for their parking and have to be exited out the same way they came in.

Looking to educate fans to consider coming to the stadium earlier. Ideas were offered as to how that might be encouraged.

 

GMG

[Where is ours?]

#MadeInChina

 

 

GMG

[Athletics State of the Department is Tonight]

In!

 

GMG

[Breaking News: Mansfield Legacy TE Brandon Young Jr Commits to North Texas (With Quotes from Brandon Young Jr)]

Emmitt is the Alabama of keeping commits. Well done.

 

GMG

[Trying to understand....]

In the current recruiting paradigm, are we to just not recruit kids until signing day so they will have reduced time to get other offers and change their minds?

Why question a kids honor when he commits now and later, based on new information, decides to do something else? Especially when the paradigm is fully established and understood. We know the path it can take but every single time we get a commitment, the thread is hijacked to make the same well known observation.

Instead, perhaps assume good intent. Then trust, until someone gives you reasons not to.

Feels like we should be celebrating the decision with the recruit and his family when he opts to "commit" to this school. If you don't feel like celebrating, maybe just go sit in the corner and quit burning the party down. 

Maybe.

 

GMG