DRC: Getting Mean again?

[Brett Vito]

UNT's defense showing signs of progress under Skladany, getting back to what made the Mean Green successful in the past

[NorthTexan95]

Is Vito implying that we're named Mean Green after Mean Joe Green? If so, then geez. If not, then the one paragraph isn't well written.

[Green P1]

Very nice article Brett Vito. Very nice.

[KRAM1]

Indeed...ANOTHER good job by Brett. Well done. AND...thanks.

[greenjoe]

Even the nickname, Mean Green, was given to UNT’s defense during the 1960s, when Greene was wreaking havoc as a defensive tackle at Fouts Field.

I read that as the defense was named MEAN GREEN. And the defense hapened to have a guy named Joe playing tackle.

GO MEAN GREEN

[UNT Mean Green]

Excellent article by Brett. The Defense started to display some playmaking ability last year and Bowen helped lay that foundation. It has only gotten better this year and I would anticipate it to improve under Skladany/Mac for years to come.

I believe we will see a visibile difference of the improvement from 2011 to 2012 on Saturday.

GMG!

[rws69]

Looking back at the yearbooks covering the 1966, 1967, and 1968 seasons...the team was the Eagles. On the page covering the victory over Texas Western (now UTEP), one sentence is as follows: The "Mean Green" defenders threw back several desperate fourth quarter scoring bids by the Miners.

A year later, the recap of the 1967 season, when they won the MVC championship, includes this paragraph:

But not stopping there, the Eagles also set three school records, had ten men named to the All-Conference first team, produced the MVC Coach [Rod Rust] and Sophomore of the Year, had a quarterback who led the nation in touchdown passes [steve Ramsey] and a flanker who led the nation in TD pass receptions [Ron Shanklin]. The produced all this, and they produced a name, the "Mean Green." Whether it was just a name or perhaps a following, it was one by which they were known and respected. The North Texas Green of 1967 was indeed Mean.

[GrayEagle]

'Mean Green' was coined by Sidney Sue Graham, the wife of then SID Fred Graham. She urged the defense to "get mean, green." She later asked Fred to use 'Mean Green' in describing the defense. Fred thought that it sounded corny but agreed to use it and the legend was born.

Although Joe Greene played on those late sixties teams it wasn't attached to his name until he was with the Steelers.

Edited October 4, 2012 by GrayEagle

[cwb]

'Mean Green' was coined by Sidney Sue Graham, the wife of then SID Fred Graham. She urged the defense to "get mean, green." She later asked Fred to use 'Mean Green' in describing the defense. Fred thought that it sounded corny but agreed to use it and the legend was born.

Although Joe Greene played on those late sixties teams it wasn't attached to his name until he was with the Steelers.

Maybe we should pin this post?

[greenminer]

'Mean Green' was coined by Sidney Sue Graham, the wife of then SID Fred Graham. She urged the defense to "get mean, green." She later asked Fred to use 'Mean Green' in describing the defense. Fred thought that it sounded corny but agreed to use it and the legend was born.

Although Joe Greene played on those late sixties teams it wasn't attached to his name until he was with the Steelers.

Just a bit more for this:

Greene was nicknamed "Big Joe" while he played in Denton. He got drafted by the Steelers and the Pitt media confused our moniker with him, and thus was borne Mean Joe Greene.

Fry took that to town to get UNT all the attention it could gather off of Joe's fame, going so far as stating we were named after Joe in his autobiography. But as anyone around back then, especially the AD, could tell you - Mean Green came from Sidney as a cheer for the D.

Joe had a part in bringing the name about, as did every other player on that defense, but we certainly were not named after him.

Edited October 5, 2012 by greenminer

[Stan R]

Mean again? Not quite, here is where we currently stand on the meanness scale:

MEAN, MAN!

really really agitated

fed up!

we're here --> just about had enough

eh, whatever - but I don't like it.

don't really care

really, I'm ok with it.

whatever you say, I won't try to stop you.

So we've got about three more levels to advance to in the meannness scale. But we are making progress!

For reference's sake - the Mendoza defense were in the "really - I'm ok with it" meanness ranking.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Stan R

[SilverEagle]

This current defense is starting to remind me of many of Corky Nelson's defenses of the 80's. Especially the one that knocked the dog S*** out of TCU in 86. Six turnovers by TCU.....all because of vicious hits by the......MEAN GREEN.