Sleeping Giant Unt Has To Awaken!

[Green Dozer]

I cannot remember exactly how it was said last night, but Coach McCarney alluded to the fact that North Texas is a "sleeping giant". I have been in Denton since 1972, and I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have heard this. I have even heard the same thing was said in the 60's. For the most part, it was directed at the football program.

I know a lot of us are tired of hearing the "sleeping giant" bit, but at least there is real thunder this time, and it is time North Texas caught some lightning in the bottle. I could not help think last night that the athletic department and football staff had better get things right this time with the decisions that have been made the last few months. McCarney is right, there are no excuses! If anything, they can look out their window and see about 70 million reasons to FINALLY get this thing on track, heading in the right direction, and staying there. I do not think that there can be another person (new coach or athletic director) stand at a podium in the near future, and say what a "sleeping giant" this program is and do so with any credibility, and have the support (yes, there is a lot of room for improvement) that we do right now. If there is a change in say the coach or AD positions, it had better be that one is leaving for a better job, has brought the program as far as he can and change is needed, etc. But it cannot be because the overall program, mostly football, is not having success and has jumped off track. This may very well be the last stand!

*Note: Please don't read into "last stand" comment as it is going to die as that is not what I mean. What I mean is that it had better become a program that is perceived as being relevant in college football or we will make the naysayers right.

[MeanGreenHoops]

The difference is, talk is cheap. In the past it was always just talk. Now we are actually building things and supporting them. So people know it's not B.S.

[NorthTexan95]

Thunder Dan may be in the house but Rick V. has been brewing this storm for years. He's slowly built up the other sports, built up relationships with administration and boosters, and now the new stadium. Now we're ready for the lightning show!

[GMoney]

Posted Today, 07:01 PM

The difference is, talk is cheap. In the past it was always just talk. Now we are actually building things and supporting them. So people know it's not B.S.

Amen brotha!

[Green Gas]

Well lets wake the b!tch up. The alarm clock is set and 2011 is the year. I expect her to be deep sleeper and it may take a few years to really get past the snooze control. But it is going to happen.

[UNT90]

Like I have said before, the giant isn't sleeping, he is in a coma and just recently managed to make it offf of life support. He faces a long road before he becomes fully awake and alert. We have but traveled the first 1/2 mile on that road.

A winning football team will get us at least a couple of miles down that long road.

[FloMoGrad]

I appreciate your sense of awareness at the job at hand, but I really think we're one winning season away from seeing the slumbering titan start to stir. So many positives despite the lack of success on the field, only a matter of time, and I don't think we're talking 3-5 yr plan here, before the efforts made behind the scenes start to materialize into win's.

[Green Mean]

I appreciate your sense of awareness at the job at hand, but I really think we're one winning season away from seeing the slumbering titan start to stir. So many positives despite the lack of success on the field, only a matter of time, and I don't think we're talking 3-5 yr plan here, before the efforts made behind the scenes start to materialize into win's.

I think it will take more than a winning season to turn a tide. it has to be a run at at least 2 or 3 winning seasons and ones that aren't 6-6/7-5 types. We need to have some 9-10 win seasons for people to take notice. I don't doubt we can be .500 next season but as far as the whole sleeping giant term it will take more than just an ordinary winning season or two.

[UNT90]

It's going to take more than 1, or even 3, winning seasons. There is a huge disconnect between most alums and UNT. The step are being taken on campus to eliminate that in the future, but getting old alums interested that have not taken notice since grabbing their degrees and dashing to their career aint gonna happen unless you win on a TCU or Boise St. scale.

Really not trying to be negative, and I think many, many good things are happening for UNT right now, but it is going to be a long haul to get this thing where it needs to be. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen overnight.

Edited January 23, 2011 by UNT90

[PlummMeanGreen]

When I first enrolled at UNT in January of 1972, there would be what I would call these following schools who we had had some games with who were considered sleeping giants: Florida State, East Caroline, Louisville, Cincinatti, Memphis and North Texas. (Boise was not even on the D1 radar in those days); but I think of all the listed schools that Memphis & North Texas football programs could both make the next step upward. All the schools have us beat in the "what conference their in" department, though.

GMG!

Edited January 23, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen

[NT03]

This got me thinking ... we should get the makers of the Green Giant to be our stadium sponser , General Mills.

[SilverEagle]

Ok, can someone tell me what makes us a giant (sleeping or otherwise), other than our (supposed) 100K local alumni population?

[FloMoGrad]

Ok, can someone tell me what makes us a giant (sleeping or otherwise), other than our (supposed) 100K local alumni population?

35,000 Students and increasing every yr, coupled with even 50K alumni within 60 miles, in a metorplex of close to 7 million, which could also be argued is one of the most passionate football areas in the country. Add in the upgrade in staff, facilities, stadium, salaries and overall committment to the AD, & I'd say that all adds up to a sleeping giant.

Other than that nothing.

[Green Gas]

Actually 37K enrolled and more like 120k alumni in DFW, which is huge. All we have to do is start beating some of the auto bid teams and get the hell out of the sorry ass belt.

[SilverEagle]

Well, I for one have gotten rather sick of that term. So we have either 60K or 120K alumni in the metoplex just waiting for a call from the administration to tell them that they can wake up now?

[Green Gas]

The student body is in the top 20 largest in FBS, and with a concentrated Alumni base of 120K in DFW and this is the right number give or take a few thousand. The wake up will be us playing and beating recognizable team names, not the crappy belt.

So silver I guess you can be sick, but I see the potential and I think others do as well.

Edited January 24, 2011 by Green Gas

[FloMoGrad]

The student body is in the top 20 largest in FBS, and with a concentrated Alumni base of 120K in DFW and this is the right number give or take a few thousand. The wake up will be us playing and beating recognizable team names, not the crappy belt.

So silver I guess you can be sick, but I see the potential and I think others do as well.

Agreed, I see the potential as well. Houston & Tulsa would be nice momentum starters.

[untjim1995]

Ok, can someone tell me what makes us a giant (sleeping or otherwise), other than our (supposed) 100K local alumni population?

I think we have been fool's gold to a lot of coaches over the years because of those numbers. But the reality had always been that the students had no vested interest in the football program or any athleics at all. But with the new student fee and the stadium being built, they have something that tangibly affects them. And I think that is great--we aren't the cheapest value in the country anymore, but we do offer value and a full college experience if someone wants to enjoy athletics and education at the same time.

The harder reality is that it will take a long time to make this happen. Obviously, winning will help, but the DFW media give SBC wins almost zero credit. In other words, you have to win against OOC name teams AND SBC teams to get their attention. The 2002-2004 proved this. We won the SBC with winning records for three straight years with overall records of 8-5, 9-4, and 7-6. In 2002, we beat Cincinnati in the NO Bowl and Nicholls State in OOC, along with the rest of the SBC for our 8 wins. In 2003, we beat in OOC an awful Baylor team and the other SBC members to get to 8 wins, but lost to Memphis, AFA, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. In 2004, we beat the SBC teams, but lost in OOC to Texas, Florida Atlantic, Baylor, and someone else, along with Southern Miss in the NO Bowl, to finish at 7-6. None of those three seasons even gave us better coverage than some extremely awful SMU teams got from the DFW media. That's is why it is more than just win and it will all change. It is really, just like we are seeing in men's hoops, beat teams that media members care about and it will change things.