2017 Hall of Fame class announced

UNTLifer · July 29, 2017

2 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

I have always taken exception to the above opinion although I don't think Dickey should ever even been considered for the HOF. That winning streak was great and I don't care what conference it was in. I still wonder how that one class was put together that really was responsible for winning those four conference championships. The Belt was the weakest conference, but there are not many teams that have ever dominated a league like that.

The facts are that DD killed his own success with lazy recruiting and constant complaining about his situation at NT. Many defend him because he was right about many things he said about NT and it is now in retrospect recognized how weak RV was as an AD. The paradox is that DD comments about NT really did not apply to the early Belt where he found his only success. NT was among the most established programs and had about the highest budget throughout that 4 season run.

I am very disappointed with this selection to the HOF. The HOF has always been suspect with many selected who really were not that outstanding and others left out or delayed for decades after they should have been included. Now they have selected a coach with a questionable record that figuratively if not actually gave the finger to the University. Explain for example why DD was selected above Rod Rust, a better coach with a much better overall record. Most importantly Rust was a fine representative of the University, while Dickey was the direct opposite.

I have followed and supported the NT program for a lot of very lean years, and will continue. However, I can't remember anything other than the move to 1AA that has annoyed me as much as this selection to the HOF. Who makes these decisions, are they trying to destroy any credibility this award has?

You could not have hit the nail more squarely on the head. Let him have his practice facility but no HOF. Looks like his inclusion is being done to make amends with MM. No proof of the last sentence, just an assumption on my part.

Cr1028 · July 30, 2017

On 7/28/2017 at 11:16 PM, untjim1995 said:

someone who actually won here, like, oh, I don't know, maybe somebody like Hayden Fry...before he dies, it might be nice to honor the best coach we ever had.

Additionally, maybe we could get some of Fry's assistants in the HOF too. I hear they had some wizard guy that was pretty good. Don't know what ever happen to that purple cat loving dude

Edited August 6, 2017 by Cr1028

VideoEagle · July 30, 2017

I knew this thread was going to be interesting as soon as I saw DD's picture in the NT Facebook post. There are lots of reasons for both viewpoints on this one.

I come down on the side of DD deserves to be in the HoF. I think so simply on the strength of the winning streak. The four bowl games are a great bonus. I heard multiple sports broadcasters and writers in the area that rarely give NT the time of day comment that streak was incredible for ANY level of sport. We talk about how far ahead NT would be if not for the 1AA years. Well, neither ULaLa nor NMSU ever had to drop and we caught them. Arky State had been back in the Bigs several years longer than us and we caught them. Yes, our OCC record - often against defending national championship teams - was terrible. Yes, DD could have put more effort into those games. But I also heard Gene Stallings tell our fans OOC games were nice wins, but conference games were the wins needed to earn a conference championship and in a conference with only one or two bowl bids the championship is what gets you bowl games. DD won 1A conference championships.

El Paso Eagle · July 30, 2017

I believe based on our history DD absolutely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But to be honest, with this record to be in the Hall of Fame shows how far the hole the North Texas program is. I've said it before, I believe Seth has a harder job than Wilson at UTSA because starting from new with little or no history is most often easier than starting from a history with little success and the perception of no support from the administration.

Aldo · July 31, 2017

*People complain about never going to bowl games and raising expectations*

*Coach goes on a 4 bowl streak*

NO BUT WAIT THAT DOESN'T COUNT

TIgreen01 · July 31, 2017

Put me squarely in the cowards who won't choose a side category. There's something missing here. The timing is weird---esp when DD is still an active coach and the risk that he wouldn't be able to attend is great. I guess I just want to know why now? What's the benefit? As others have said, we've got coaches from 40+ years ago with better overall records and any leftover scars have healed long ago. The streak was amazing. I wouldn't call it anything other than a rollercoaster, though. Losing a crazy amount of OOC games along the way, playing a style that turned off nearly everyone who wasn't tied to the school and then blasting the school publicly nearly every year balanced out the extreme highs.

This just has a politically motivated feel to it, and I'm wondering who/what the benefits are. Enshrining a coach with an overall 39% win ratio is a bad look. What are we getting that makes it worthwhile?

Mean Green 93-98 · August 1, 2017

5 hours ago, TIgreen01 said:

I guess I just want to know why now?

My guess is that they would have done it several years ago, but a veto was waiting at the top.

97and03 · August 6, 2017

On 8/1/2017 at 5:19 AM, Mean Green 93-98 said:

My guess is that they would have done it several years ago, but a veto was waiting at the top.

That was my thought. First WB hof vote perhaps.

On 7/30/2017 at 8:44 PM, El Paso Eagle said:

I believe based on our history DD absolutely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But to be honest, with this record to be in the Hall of Fame shows how far the hole the North Texas program is. I've said it before, I believe Seth has a harder job than Wilson at UTSA because starting from new with little or no history is most often easier than starting from a history with little success and the perception of no support from the administration.

This is where I stand. DD deserves to be in the NT hof, but it's a symbol of our futility more than anything.