University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: USA Today Wrong
8/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, August 26, 2009, 7:55 p.m.
USA Today had a very interesting piece today that talked about all 120 Division I schools in America and what they termed "The Golden Years" of each program. I'm here to tell you when it comes to the Mean Green, USA Today is wrong.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2009-08-25-bonus-golden-years_N.htm
There are clearly two era's of North Texas football that fans can point to as the "Golden Years" of North Texas. The 2001-04 teams that won four straight conference titles, went to four straight bowl games, and along the way logged an amazing 25-game conference winning streak. That four-year run also had 55 all-conference honors handed out.
Not bad. The era that I'm talking about is better. Let's go over the awards, they had exactly zero conference titles, zero bowl games, and zero all-conference players. The North Texas teams from 1975-78 under Hayden Fry were better. 33-11 was the record during that four-year run. The punishment they faced however was the fact that they were not in a conference.
Fry took a gamble by taking North Texas out of the Missouri Valley in hopes of getting the Mean Green into the Southwest Conference, the gamble didn't work. The kids on those teams got no honors, no glory, no bowl goody bag with Madden 75' (I know it wasn't around), leather jackets, or bowl watches that turn you wrist green with moisture.
I saw every game of the 2001-04 team. I know everyone wants to remember the way they use to dominate each SBC team and it was the Mean Green's birth right to head to New Orleans every year. Here's a little glance back at history, the truth. Those teams didn't dominate the way the 75-78 teams did.
North Texas had one, count it one, non-conference victory over a Division I team from that era. That was Baylor, hardly D-I at the time. 14 of its 25 straight wins were by 10 points or less. Those teams were also a little lucky if you ask me. A 1-3 bowl record doesn't blow anyone away either considering that in all four games North Texas faced three teams from C-USA and one from the Mountain West. Not the upper crust of Division I.
I never saw a single game from 1975-78. Heck I wasn't even born. But I do love history and when I look at those teams they chalked up some of the best wins in school history. Starting in 1975 against Tennessee, Houston, S. Miss (twice), Memphis State (twice), Louisianan Tech (three times), UTEP (49-0!!!), and Oklahoma State.
They took on some of the best teams in the region and didn't just try to hang around until the 4th quarter, they won the game from the start.
The article itself calls out the SBC as a "fledgling league" during the North Texas reign. It was. No disrespect to those teams at all, but they just weren't as dominate as the run from the 75-78.
The shame of it all is they received no glory, no rings, no recognition and sadly no respect.
The USA Today article just illustrates how that continues, and I'm here to tell you it's wrong.
