CMJ

It's basketball season?

Heartbreaking.

This one wiould sting....

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick

Huge kick.....huge.

Huge INT.

Jamario!

Back in LA as of a few hours ago. I loved seeing some old friends and it was equally cool meeting alot of people on the board. I'd start a list, but I'm sure I'd leave people off. Special thank you's goto Emmitt for housing me most of my trip. SUMG for taxiing me around Monday night. And Stebo for the Navy/Cameron tickets. I definitely picked the right week to make the trip. Navy was alot of fun despite the loss. Cameron was special because of the banners going up. Last night proved we may have more banners to add on the horizon - not to mention the SuperPit may be awakening from decades of slumber. Thanks to one and all. GMG

The cheer Ohio took...and we're trying to copy is most definitely UCLA's "frisbee cheer". They've been doing it for a long time in Westwood. I'd prefer not to copy it and use our own. We DID try and bring "Welcome to the Pit" back last night with limited results. UCLA Frisbee cheer. ESPN even used part of it for College Gameday commercials last year.

Just so you know my source. http://realtimerpi.com/ncaab/Men.html And somehow over the last few hours we moved up another notch.

These things fluctuate alot....especially early in seasons - however.... We have an RPI of 54 currently. Bring on the expectations.

The SuperPit - where teams come to die. Emmitt and I sat in the student section in the 1st half. It was amazing. Every bit as good as "The Den" at UCLA....the SuperPit can become one of the "worst" places to play in college basketball once again. I was so proud of them - and a bit jealous I didn't get to experience it when I was at NT myself. The 2nd half we moved to 107 with the other alumni and it was pretty loud over there too(partly as we tried to out cheer Cowboy fans who showed up in force). We sort of got the old "Welcome to the Pit" chant going 2 or 3 times. Hopefully it'll reignite further in future weeks. I fly back to Los Angeles today bursting with pride and with growing hopes about the future of NT basketball. GMG!

I don't believe it's our biggest win. I'd argue that the Conference tournament victories were more important by far. But this was a special, special win. I'm so glad I was there to witness it.

BTW - it was really nice to meet you at practice the other day Buford. Looking forward to this game big time. The Cowboys don't know what they're in for.

I'm going. Lord knows when I'll be at another one - so we better win.

Blah, blah

I have been giving myself a walking a tour of campus for the last few hours. The new buildings that I have seen(I haven't gotten to the additions on the golf course) are great additions. It's great to walk down North Texas Blvd and take a left thru the maze of new structures. The last time I was in town was just acouple of years ago and I'm almost lost in some areas. Everywthing blends well with the more aged buildings nearby. The waterfall by Willis as well as the reflecting pools are beautiful. I can see an effort was really made to put alot of benches everywhere - as there were many in places I don't remember them just a few short years ago. As far as the stuff that has been here awhile. I always remember NT being beautiful - but I'm not really sure I appreciated it while I was here. It's so wonderful and peaceful. And good lord there are alot of trees! I've been to many campuses on the west coast - and each is beautiful in it's own way, but I don't think any of them has the amount of nature mixed in among the walkways and buildings that we do. I also took for granted strolling between all the music buildings and being serenaded with all manor of great music. And the way the symmetry of campus is revealed on foot, as you go block by block, is almost surprising. It's almost as if I never noticed how everything seamed so well together. Perhaps it's because I don't come this way very often anymore. Maybe I couldn't see everything because I stared at it everyday. All the students reading this...and hell...even the alums that see it often because you live in DFW - appreciate what you get to expereince on an everyday basis. (I could also write an ode to Denton - but I don't want to make this a Plumm sized post)

I thought McCoy was particularly tenacious on defense Saturday. He was seemingly less than a foot of his man's face the whole night.

I was very disappointed myself. In all honesty I was suprised when I read the attendance....I thought it looked more like 2300 or so. Still it was nice to be back at the SuperPit. I'm expecting alot of people Wednesday - hope I won't be disappointed.

Emmitt and I went to the 2nd half of the SMU/Alabama State game and jeered. I think the group of 5 fans 2 rows below hated us, since they kept looking up and giving us dagger eyes.

Emmitt and I tried to do the "Welcome to the Pit" chant last night because I remembered that story from last year. We did it for about 45 seconds....by ourselves. Oh well.

It was my first home game since 2002 - one where we won handily. Early on I thought we were going to win this one in a big way as well. I was very impressed with the atmosphere. The flyover was impressive. Hell I even was at a USC game awhile back where they had a flyover of, I believe the same planes(maybe they were a different fighter, I can't remember), but it wasn't nearly that low. Amazing(and deafening). The crowd was fantastic. Both sides really. Loved seeing that many Midshipmen there. Also thought the improvements to Fouts were terrific. Our defense was a sieve. Their's was too for the 1st half(I said first to 80 wins at about the start of the 2nd quarter....I over did it just a smidge) - but the difference was they stiffened alot in the 2nd and ours only did a little. Their option just counfounded us - the worst of which to me was the fullback up the gut for huge chunks at a time. I could take getting burned on the edges some - but the FB must've had the game of his career between the tackles. Offense looked great in the 1st, but I think we were out adjusted in the 2nd. You can't lay this on them at all - especially Vizza whose toughness impressed me. Sometimes teams can throw up big numbers you, it happens. But practically every team this year has put up pinball numbers against us. We need to recruit 80% defensively next year.

Emmitt and I discussed this on the drive back to his place. He was big on Thompson. I was high on McCoy. And neither of them even matched Collin Dennis's 21. We have the potential to be special. I loved raising of the banners too.

Wow...talk about service! I have turbulence - scares the crap out of me. But at least I'll know where to expect it! Thanks Justin.

Okay, I'm finishing the prep and should be going to the airport in about an hour to ninety minutes. I'll be arriving at DFW a little after 5pm CST. See yall tommorrow. GMG