It's Homecoming Week in North Texas as FIU travels to Denton, Texas to take on the Mean Green. NT has lost all three of its home games this season and FIU would like to make it four.
We'll have to wait and see until Saturday night if the Panthers can accomplish that at Fouts Field. For now, let's see if FIU can beat North Texas in The Other Game.
FIU vs. NORTH TEXAS -- The Other Game
-- Around campus FIU students walk around with shoes on. Around the North Texas campus, it's not a rare sight to see students walking around barefoot. Clean feet win every time. FIU 1, NT 0.
-- The Panthers nickname came simply from the animal in the Everglades. It's not exactly known where the Mean Green nickname came from. It could be from former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Mean Joe Greene. It could be from two basketball players and a bottle of wine or it could be from the wife of a former NT sports information director. You decide HERE . Quirky history gets the edge. FIU 1, NT 1.
-- FIU recently had Andy Leavine, "Kevin Hackman", join Florida Championship Wrestling. Stone Cold Steve Austin is NT's wrestling alum. Maybe one day Hackman becomes as big as Austin. NT 2, FIU 1.
-- FIU is working on getting that Panther statue. NT has "In High Places" (left) -- a 22-foot tall bronze statue of a flying eagle. NT 3, FIU 1.
-- FIU has been Florida International University from the outset. North Texas was originally named Texas Normal College, then North Texas Normal College, then North Texas State Normal College, then North Texas State Teachers College, then North Texas State College, then North Texas State University, then finally the University of North Texas. Phew, got all that? Keep it simple when it comes to the school name, please. NT 3, FIU 2.
-- Golden Dazzler Vanessa (right) participated in a halftime dance competition at last year's Sun Belt Conference Basketball Tournament in Hot Springs, Arkansas. NT had some dancing dude in the competition. The dude inexplicably won the competition. It was rigged. Vanessa wins 100 percent of the time here. FIU 3, NT 3.
-- FIU has six libraries. NT created the first school library preparation program in the U.S. I guess without having a library prep program FIU wouldn't have six libraries? NT 4, FIU 3.
-- FIU has the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Champions. NT is looking to add a baseball team. FIU 4, NT 4.
-- FIU has ?? famous musical alum. Among NT's musical alums: Don Henley, Roy Orbison, Meat Loaf, Norah Jones. NT 5, FIU 4.
-- FIU won the Orange Bowl finale and snapped a 23-game losing streak vs. NT in 2007 (left, thanks Sam Lewis photo). NT defeated FIU 25-22 in 7 overtimes [longest game in NCAA history] in 2006. Closing out the OB and ending a long losing streak: priceless. Watching that 7 OT game was like going to the dentist. FIU 5, NT 5.
-- FIU's two mascots have been the Sunblazers and Panthers. NT has an eagle named "Scrappy", who used to be named "Eppy". NT also considered a dragon, a lion, a cottontail rabbit and an albino squirrel for a mascot before deciding on the eagle. Tough call with the eagle being the national bird, but anyone considering a rabbit or albino squirrel for a mascot cannot win this one. FIU 6, NT 5.
A lot closer Other Game than last week's FIU 7-4 win over Western Kentucky, but what was that thing we were talking about no such thing as an ugly win.
PANTHER PAWSE
The Golden Dazzlers will be taking part in their 2011 calendar photo shoot this weekend. You can buy a Dazzlers calendar in November. The ladies will have a 2011 calendar launch party next month where they will autograph their calendar for you. There at the launch party and at future FIU football and basketball home games you can buy 12 nice months of 2011.
Earlier this post, we spoke of shoes. Check out a photo of these shoes sent in by FIUJM.
Q&A
pikedanny: S Bar Watch Party Saturday night?
PP: They are working to see if S Bar can get the CSS feed into their TVs. We should know by Wednesday if S Bar will have a watch party for the FIU/North Texas game.
FIU FPL: Pete, can you get with the band director and have them walk through the Tamiami side and pump up the fans!!!! Pete, whoever thought of a cannon, let them know it was a great idea.
PP: I will let them all know.
SunblazerPanther: Pete, My prediction is not mentioned. Thanks. My prediction is in the 10/05/10 blog...
PP: Yes, I got that one, but I did not get your prediction for the Pitt game that's why I did not have you on the leaderboard. Please let me know if I missed your prediction for the Pitt game somewhere.
I will get updates for you good people on the hand signal, Ced and the watch party later today.
