MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF

We for sure have Beaten Dog Syndrome. Already making excuses for losing to a team that hasn't played a game in two years. The bottom line is, if UAB beats us, it says something about their coaching staff and ours. We haven't had a two year gap in actual game playing. I don't care how many partial qualifiers they have. When they arrive at Apogee Stadium on September 30, 2017, they will have only played three games together as a team after not playing at all for two years. Now, if that's all it would take to roll in and beat the 2017 UNT squad, again, I'll say that we will be 2015 Dan McCarney-type done.

Agree 164%. If a team that has been on the shelf for a couple of seasons rolls in and hands it to us, we're done. And, to me, at that point, we're Dan McCarney 2015 done. Sorry, I'm too old now and long in the tooth to see bullsh*t then call it anything else. For the better part of three decades now, we've become too accustomed to seeing outright bullsh*t and calling it "rebuilding," The "rebuilding" bit is, to me, bullsh*t on top of bullsh*t because we've never been built in the first place since we came back to D I-AA in 1995. Corky had something built at I-AA. Hayden Fry and Odus Mitchell had something built. Dickey was getting sparks, it seemed, but the fire didn't last long. Dickey had three winning seasons in a row from 2002-2004. Before that, Hayden Fry went four in a row from 1975-1978. Before that, Odus/Rod Rsut strung together four winners from 1966-1969. If it looks and smells like a loser, these days, it probably is. Losing to UAB in 2017 will certainly have the look and smell of another loser. That Dickey three year run is getting further and further away as the seasons pass, too.

Returning enough on offense and defense. In particular, Ito Smith and Allen Staggers on offense. The two QBs battling to replace Nick Mullens were well-regarded prospects. Jay Hopson has also been a good coach and recruiter, picking up nine 3-star players last year on top of the eight he singed in his first class in 2016. His debut last year was a roadie against SEC's Kentucky; they won it 44-35. They open with Kentucky in Hattiesburg this year. They also won their bowl game last year, so they do have positive momentum going into 2017. Southern Miss will be tough. I think they'll be better than UTSA, despite what the pre-season polling says.

https://austin.eater.com/2017/7/17/15984694/silo-on-7th-closed-burgers Doesn't say why. However, we insure a restaurant down there, and commercial rent down there is high...as is most property rate down there. Restaurants already operate on pretty thin margins, so it's tough to keep them going. The joint we insure - http://thevarsitypizza.com/ - down there own the building, so rent doesn't force them out. The place used to be a DoubleDave's, but owner chose not to renew his contract with them a couple of years ago and went indy. Owner is a good guy and personal friend - was a best man at both of my weddings! He ran track at UT back in the late 80s/early 90s. Good guy. If you like supporting indy restaurants over franchised, hit it up. (Forgive him for the UT overkill...he did go to UT, run track for them, married a UT gal, and the restaurant is right across the street from the campus with DKR within walking distance. During games, he'll always have a set up going in the parking lot.)

Guys, we already had this nailed down: we oppose Liberty as a conference mate and are not happy that we were put into a home and home series with them. We all have our different reasons. The important thing is that we oppose it, not why we oppose it.

To get some Mean Green recognition?

We object to the series and the thought of being in the same conference with them.

No, I understand your opinion well: you object to Liberty on academic grounds; the rest of us object on athletic grounds.

Thank you for your opinion. I already know what you believe. Everyone is not required to share your opinion - especially not folk at private Universities.

Crazy that Ernie is not mentioned on Kelli's wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelli_Kuehne Can someone who knows how to wiki fix that, please?

So? What makes you think a scientist who doesn't believe the young earth theory would be required to teach at Liberty anyway? I know this may be shocking, but no one is required to apply for faculty positions at Liberty. It is voluntary. Therefore, they are not "making" anyone do anything that would be shocking to them. If UNT decided to require their science faculty to sign a young earth acceptance, that would be controversial because it is a state school. Liberty, a private, Christian school is obviously going to be different. And, that's fine. No one is coerced to attend Liberty or teach at Liberty. It's a choice. Personally, I think Liberty cuts off a legitimate line of scientific inquiry with their young earth decision; but, it's their school with their money, and, therefore, their prerogative. My objection to Liberty is simply that if they join our conference, it shows that we are going nowhere, and are in a conference going nowhere. This has already been proven time and again by the start-up and move-ups C-USA already let in under former C-USA commish Britton Banowsky. Adding Liberty would simply mean that the current commissioner isn't any more serious about making the conference more competitive than Banowsky was. I don't know if it's pseudoscience, but I do believe it is wrong to pronounce it correct and stop all other inquiry. In my view the folks on the "only Evolution" side of the ledger are as guilty of having closed minds about true scientific inquiry as they accuse the "only Creationism" folk of being. And, again, I think it is ridiculous to make this area of science a zero sum game. No one was at the creation, whether it was thousands of years ago or billions. So, anything out there is a theory and nothing more. Study all angles, please.

Jim Jones? You've lost me. Nothing about ORU or Liberty - or their founders - is anything like Jim Jones.

I like to have butts in the seat, even if it means shaving a dollar or two off the ticket price for the GA section. Once you've got someone in, they will spend more than than $2 on concessions, and possibly hats/stuff...especially if they bring their kids. Plus, if one generally means two or more when it comes to tickets. Few people - outside of Lee Harvey Oswald - go to things alone.

Yes, sir! Especially in 1988!

They've already got a 3-star WR committed out of Florida, and another 4-star kid who has them as a top team out of St. Louis. If they get one or two out of Texas, that would likely be fine for them. But, they are deeper in SEC/ACC territory as well as their traditional regional territories - Cincy, St. Louis, Illinois, Louisville, Ohio. The speed and athletes are in SEC/ACC territory, so they are smart to invest recruiting time and money there.

Regional. Half of their recruits came from Illinois or adjoining states/cities within reasonable driving distance. They had zero from Texas. One from California. Seven from Florida. So, again...whether or not this kid stays with them won't affect their normal recruiting pattern.

On both points... ...similar to the former Soviet Union and Cuba, getting their athletes out of their country gives them the opportunity to defect. I'm for saving as many people under oppression as possible. ...the word "forced" is overused these days. If you are applying for a position at Liberty, they don't hide their beliefs from you. It also ignores the fact that, as stated earlier, there are scientists who also happen to be Christian. It is not a mutually exclusive concept. You will even find physics departments at Christian schools and universities. Don't understand why we can't co-exist if we disagree on a thing or two in life. Years ago, and maybe I'm naive to think it was not that many years ago, you didn't have to draw a line in the sand on every single topic. You could hold a view. Your friends, family, and coworkers may hold a different view. And, all could live and/or work together. The world has gotten too strident because the extremes have taken over everywhere - politically, academically, athletically. It shows up in athletics in this way: everything has to be perfect. We have to have instant replay all the time, every game. Game 77 in a 162 game baseball season for teams 15 games out of first place...there can be no human on the part of the umpire. Also in baseball...if the pitcher takes 37 second between a pitch instead of 29, it's a travesty. Like, hey...go back and watch Rookie Bob Welch's strike out of Reggie Jackson in the first or second game of the 1978 World Series. Does it matter how long it took between each pitch? That at bat lasted a little of five minutes with eight pitches, some foul offs, Reggie going in and out of the box, before Welch finally struck him out to end the game. Who gives a f*ck? Today, the "it's all got to be right, and within a certain time" douchebags. Same with everything else. If you can't handle someone having a different point of view, sheesh...grow up. Don't like baseball? Watch something else. Don't like this politicians or that political party? Have it out at the next election.

Recently, we went through a spate of intermittent internet service at our house. Provider is Time Warner/Spectrum. Problem was simple and ubiquitous as far as these things go: at certain times during the day, net service would flick in and out. To me, it meant nothing because I'm at the office or on the road during the day, and at night when I got home, the internet was fine. However, it did screw up my kids' and wife's use of the internet...which can be a pain in the ass (for my wife) during the summer when the kids are there every day, and she is trying to get them to do the math programs their teachers gave them for summer work. Anyway, I'd occasionally call Time Warner/Spectrum and get the usual: -Unplug modem, then plug it back in; if that doesn't work -Hit the reset button on the back -Do the same with the router for your wifi This went on for a few weeks until, one day, the router wouldn't come back on. Hooked my laptop directly to the modem. Internet came through just fine. No problem with modem. Called the router folk (Belkin). Here is where the story pisses me off. First off, we go through the whole plug/unplug/reset/plug straight into modem with a computer rigamarole - even though I've already told them I'd done all of those things with the modem and router, and because the modem worked with the laptop, that's why I was calling about the router. Next, we go through a program where their customer service takes over my computer. No big deal. Our IT guy does that to all of our work computers and laptops when he is updating programs and security and so forth. While doing that, customer service guy is telling me about hacking and giving me the whole "don't use the internet for anything" lecture. As if that's really a f*cking possibility in 2017. (Yes...I suppose I could go back to receiving everything in the mail and going back to the check book. I suppose. But, let's be f*cking realistic, okay?). After f*cking around in my computer for awhile, customer service guy tells me my computer and modem have been hacked, and that's why the router isn't working. He says I need to be transferred to their Level Four Microsoft Technician, or some such sh*t. I let him keep rambling...which he does...because I know from being in sales that a sales pitch is coming up. He eventually gets to the sales pitch. To him, bottom line is Microsoft Level Four Technician needs to take over my computer for an hour or two, scan it, clean it of hackers and install a super duper security programs that will cost either: -$199 for a year -$299 for two years -$399 for five years -$799 for a lifetime He say this will guarantee I'll never be hacked again, and my internet service will never be interrupted again. I hang up on him, uninstall the computer sharing program, run the security scan installed on my laptop by work IT guy to make sure everything is clear since Belkin's crack customer service turned sales douche was on it for over an hour. I then drive to WalMart, buy another router for $29.99+ tax, take it home, hook it up, and everything works. As of now, about two weeks later, everything is fine and hunky dory. My question to IT/Tech folk is what the f*ck gives? I called the service number given by Belkin for service for their piece of equipment. All I want is a simple answer, either: (1) yes, your router is f*cked up, go buy another, (2) no it's not the router, check with Time Warner/Spectrum and have them come check your line, or (3) we don't know what the f*cking problem is, really, so just go buy another router...they're cheap, you American as*hole! So, what gives? Is it normal for tech companies to outsource their customer/tech service to third parties who f*ck around with you on the phone for a couple of hours, make sh*t up about hackers, then try to sell you bullsh*t security services? I'll hang up and listen.

My maternal grandfather was a chemist who also was also an elder at his church. Having some sort of Christian faith doesn't mean you "reject science." In fact, my grandfather was like most Christians. His belief was that scientific discovery was a way of man finding out how God made things work. I'll show my age, but hopefully educate a few. I went to a local Christian school in the 7th and 8th grade. In the science classes there, we never learned about Creationism. We learned about Big Bang and about a half dozen other theories. They knew that we already knew about Creationism, so they taught us other theories. I've never understood why all schools can't be like that school. No theory has ever been proven beyond doubt when it comes to the origin of the universe. And, yet, it's the thing that drives so many people apart. There are Christian schools and universities - and, corporations, such as the one my grandfather worked for - full of people who are both scientists and Christians. You close your mind when you shut out other people simply based on their view of origins. ---- Now, as far as being in an athletic conference with Liberty, I just think you chalk it up to loss for us. It's not us moving up...it's yet another start up added to where we are. We've already been in conferences who are full of that. If you take on Liberty, I don't see how you then keep out an ACU, which is also quickly being infused with athletic dollars. It does make me sad for us.

Wondering about this kid's academic situation. Is that the reason a JUCO has jumped in, but no other schools since he's de-committed? I wonder about these kids. If a schools tells them an offer is pulled until they show academic progress, I can't figure out why they think there is some other school out there that doesn't have to meet conference and NCAA academic standards for their recruits. As far as Illinois not pulling their offer, think about the Illini...what do they really have to lose? They don't recruit Texas much, or at least very well, anyway. So, if he does qualify and signs with them, it's a plus. If he doesn't qualify, what's it to them? They likely have regional kids lined up anyway. I doubt their whole recruiting scheme hinges on the back of this kid.

Thank you. Those were my favorite uniforms, and my favorite shade of green. But, I'm biased because those were worn during the majority of my time at UNT. We beat Texas in those helmets.

Exactly my thoughts on Davis. He got Bama some unwanted attention. NCAA gave Davis a two year show cause penalty in April to run through 2019. Yet, UTSA has kept him on.

Yes, I have many times posted we should attempt a series with Iowa State. However, as also noted in one of those threads, Iowa State is a school that rarely schedules OOC away or home games with schools south of Missouri. In the 21st Century, they've had one such series with Tulsa. Before that, your have to go back 20 years since they stepped foot in Texas for an OOC game. That was against TCU in 1995. Iowa State's OOC is full from now until 2024. Their OOC is composed of one regional FCS a year (Northern Iowa every other year, intersparsed with South Dakota, South Dakota State, SE Missouri State, and North Dakota). They have series with MAC schools, another with UNLV, and another with Arkansas State. Would I live Iowa State here? Yes. But, they are in Texas every year now as a member of the Big 12. That's likely the reason they haven't played an OOC away game here since 1995. Big 12 inception was 1996. There hasn't been a need for them to schedule OOCs in Texas. Agree. Just think it's another step toward the P5s breaking away. Plus, they are trying to keep up with their own Joneses in the P5 realm. With the constant upgrades they have to make, at steeper funding levels than we could ever imagine, they'd like to have those 1,000 seats in the hands of paid season ticket owners.

Getting old. Forgot Mizzou had left. Thanks for the up. Yes, however, in theory, fellow Big 12 schools are getting Big 12 TV and bowl money, so it will mean less to them. Plus, they can make it up during their own home games where they now have 1,000 more seats available to sell to their own fans/season ticket holders. Might not mean much to Iowa State. But, Oklahoma and Texas will sell out 1,000 seats to people on their season ticket wait list in a day or two. Probably at Oklahoma State and West Virginia as well. Does anyone think it will ever just become a Lions versus Christians spectacle for G5s visiting P5s, with no ticket allotment for G5s beyond staff, players, and their families?