For those who have preached

[El Paso Eagle]

First, Even though it makes we want to puke the way he is trying to hold the Athletic Department hostage - I agree Mac has the right to do with his money as he wishes.

For those who have said we were poor fans if we did not give unconditional support for the program regardless of who the coach was and how we felt about him. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, are you upset at Mac? Is he a poor fan since he put an individual and his personal likes/dislikes ahead of the program?

[CaribbeanGreen]

Giving a million dollars to the university and attending a game/cheering for the team from a message board are apples and oranges.

[Eagle Man]

Giving a million dollars to the university and attending a game/cheering for the team from a message board are apples and oranges.

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Are we that brainwashed? Most of us are acting like 1,000,000 is an unbelievable sum of money. It shows us all how small we all think, how low our standards have become.

Boone Pickens gives how many millions to OSU? 25? 30?

Mattress Man buys control of our athletic program for a measly 1,000,000?

Dickey was bad for UNT. Just look at the quality of his friend MM.

But today I celebrate because today we have our freedom. Thank you Dr. Bataille and Rick Villarreal.

[Harry]

Who said anything about judging fans? There is no reason to bring up topics that put the fans at odds with each other. The fans are not the problem here other than we need more. This is really an issue between the administration and a major donor (Mattress Mac).

I think Mac made some valid points in his letter and I hope that the administration will up the ante and fund this program to be the best that it can be. UNT needs to decide if they want to step it up to the next level or just play the game. I think for many years under Dr. Hurley we were just playing the game. It is very difficult to be a fan under those circumstances. I hope and pray that we will finally see the tremendous opportunity athletics provides for the perception of the university.

I also hope that we will cultivate more donors like Mac to help the new stadium become a reality.

Fans have different ways of showing their loyalty to the program and the school. Personally I like to purchase season tickets and attend the games. I give what I can. What other fans do, is really their business and I will not judge them.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--- I will not criticize Mac.... but money does not buy everything... DD has done many good things for us but when you look at his W-L record (especially the past two years) it is not especially impressive. Yes, we lost to a lot of "Quality" programs such as UT, OU, etc. but unfortunately we have lost to a lot of rather poor ones lately....... It is time to move on to someone else. We obviously would welcome Mac's support but we existed before Mac came onto the scene and we will exist long after he is gone.

---I wish DD well in the future and hope he finds something that will satisfy him.

----Coaching is not all about the head coach..... he needs to hire good assistants and be able to pay them a competitive salery or they will soon be gone.

---Selecting a head coach can be unpredictable. I have seen some great teachers that were poor administrators and some rather average teachers that were great administrators... the same is true of teh Head Caoch Postion... is it a rather complex position to find a perosn good at this postion... he needs to relate well to players, coaches, fans, recruits, and media.... and have good coaching skills.

Edited November 13, 2006 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Guest Aquila_Viridis]

UNT needs to decide if they want to step it up to the next level or just play the game.

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You got it. That's what makes the next decision so interesting: because it will send a signal one way or the other.

[FirefightnRick]

Who said anything about judging fans?  There is no reason to bring up topics that put the fans at odds with each other. 

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True. But isn't that what it's been all about with DD over the years? Pitting players against fans, pitting players against the university, pitting players against donors and alumni, pitting a fanbase against the AD? I'm not sayig it's right. I'm just simply stating that we are somewhat used to it by now.

Remember DD's first statement out of his mouth the night of his coaches show on the radio last year the week of the K State game? Dunham introduced the show, you hear a few people in the background cheering and Dunham acknowledges them by saying "Well, we have a small but very spirited crowd here tonight at the Darrell Dickey Show". In which DD immediately responds with a sarcasm that only he could do and say's "Yeah George, it looks like our fanbase has already tucked tail and run", in reference to the blow out 54-2 loss to Tulsa the previous saturday night.

P.R. NIGHTMARE!

Rick

[gksmith]

I don't think this is uncommon. A lot of rich "fans" get mad if their coach gets canned and threaten to withdraw funding.

I don't remember which school, but I think something like this has already happened in college football.

"You can please some of the people some of the time...."

If I win the lottery, I will donate $1M to the athletic program and write a long winded letter stating that I support the program and the progress of the program regardless of who is coach.

I have no ill will or bashing towards DD, but I do think it was time for a change to get the football program moving forward again.