DENTON, Texas - The
final game of the regular season is tonight, and the Pioneers need a
win and a little bit of help to get a bye in the first round of the Sun
Belt Tournament. Either Arkansas State or Louisiana-Lafayette also needs
to lose tonight for that to happen, and if both lose and DU wins the
Pioneers will win the SBC West Division.
Thursday night's game at
the Cajundome was a very entertaining college basketball game, even if
it did leave the Pioneers disappointed in the result. Both teams played
well, and the crowd was really into it.
Normally, the team tends
to leave road cities early in the morning, but because the flight from
Lafayette to Dallas is short, everyone got a chance to sleep in a little
and grab some breakfast before heading to the airport.
The team went straight
from DFW to Texas Women's University in Denton to practice. The
university, which is about three miles from North Texas, has some nice
facilities, and practice went well.
There are some
challenges with going straight from the airport to the practice
facility, of course. Trainer Pat Hoxsey was taping players' ankles while
everyone was waiting in baggage claim, but it all worked fine.
About North Texas - The Mean Green have one of the best lists of notable alumni in the Sun Belt.
You could put on a
pretty good concert with the musicians who have walked this campus. Roy
Orbison, Norah Jones, Don Henley, Ray Wylie Hubbard and, let's not
forget, Pat Boone all attended North Texas.
To our knowledge, Mean
Green is the only mascot named after a former athlete. Pittsburgh
Steelers great and Coca-Cola hawker Mean Joe Greene played here, when
the team was still the Eagles.
From Hollywood, you can find NT grads Thomas Haden Church from the old sitcom Wings, and Robocop himself, Peter Weller. Lonesome Doveauthor Larry McMurtry and Dr. Phil also went here.
Addition about Lafayette, La. - We got this note from Gerald Hebert, a student at Louisiana-Lafayette, in response to the last blog.
I must say that it was a
pleasure hosting your team tonight in the Cajundome. It was the most
exciting atmosphere we have had in a long time. But I must say that your
view of the city of Lafayette is a little inaccurate. Now, I'm not
typing this with any negative connotations, so please don't take it as
such. First, there aren't swamps everywhere you look. The only swamps
that I can think of in town is the one on campus and the one by the
airport. Secondly, Lafayette is one of the fastest growing cities in the
south because of the oil industry and the increase in medical research
in the area. The city didn't grow by over 10,000 people because of
Hurricane Katrina, even though there were some people who stayed. The
city itself is a capitalist gold mine. People here cling to new things
such as a new stores, restaurants, etc. This reverts back to the local
culture. The Cajun culture is one that is hospitable, welcoming, and
friendly. No, we don't dress like Farmer Fran and ride airboats around
town. We are normal people who wear normal clothes, have normal jobs,
and talk a little differently. As far has finding something to do, this
place is popping. There's a reason why a good number of LSU students
drive the 45 minutes from Baton Rouge on Friday and Saturday nights. The
nightlife here is second best in the state next to New Orleans. As a
New Orleans native myself, I was shocked by the number of events going
on in town when I first arrived in Lafayette.
The swamps in the area
are numerous or expansive enough to offer businesses that cater to swamp
tours, but to be fair most of those swamps are outside of city limits.
I certainly meant no
disrespect to the town, which is not a bad town with kind people and
great food. And the crowd at the Cajundome on Thursday night was
probably the most spirited the Pioneers have seen in several seasons.
A few other people took offense to the Waterboy reference. The references to the movie seemed natural in Cajun Country, and a few lines were uttered from the movie, just as Animal House references were made in Eugene, Ore., earlier this season (I suggest Dumb & Dumber, The Shining or Mork & Mindy for
anyone visiting Colorado). However, most of the jokes actually came
from the ULL students sitting behind the DU bench and directed at Denver
trainer Pat Hoxsey, who among countless other things makes sure the
players are all hydrated during games. The students simply called him
"Waterboy."
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 18
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 14,611
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 24,589
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,447
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,822
Total Number of Hotels - 12
Total Number of Different Airports - 11
Total Number of Airline Delays - 1
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 2
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