POLL: NAME YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL COACH IN SMU'S HISTORY

[Charleston Pony]

I can't believe there are so many naiive people posting on this board who actually think the paying of players started with Ron Meyer and might have been discontinued if only Bobby Collins hadn't been hired. Players were being paid when I was in school during the Hayden Fry/Dave Smith years and I'm sure it was going on long before then. It was a SWC tradition that I'm reasonably certain remains solidly in place at many of the programs we once competed against. I gather none of you know any "friends of the program" at the two goliaths of Texas collegiate football?

It's tough for me to pick a favorite. Obviously I don't go back beyond Hayden Fry, who may well be my favorite because he was a neighbor of ours and his sons Randy & Zach were teammates when I was growing up in north Dallas. I'm kind of partial to Ron Meyer, though, because he not only built the program into a brief SWC dynasty, but I also thought he and his staff were good technicians and were very creative offensively.

I also agree with those who say you have to respect what Forest Gregg gave to SMU by returning the way he did...and agree with those who say "no way" anyone should blame Bobby Collins for what he inherited. I guess whoever recruited David Stanley should get some of the blame, but ultimately UT, A$M and Ark were not going to let us beat them at their own game for very long!

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Charleston Pony:
<B>I can't believe there are so many naiive people posting on this board who actually think the paying of players started with Ron Meyer and might have been discontinued if only Bobby Collins hadn't been hired. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

illegal recruitment began at SMU as soon as football did... the slush fund funneled through various members of the Board of Governors started with Meyer...

The upfront payments to players absolutely would have stopped, as Meyer's plan was to stop the signing bonuses once SMU established itself atop the SWC, and simply take care of the players the way UT did (and probably still does) after they had enrolled.

[Stallion]

....and how did that Master Plan work out for ya?

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stallion:
<B> ....and how did that Master Plan work out for ya? </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just as it did when your boy Cavan was handing out T-shirts... not well.

That is the history, justified or otherwise.

[KnuckleStang]

Now, now, girls...you're both pretty.

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by KnuckleStang:
<B>Now, now, girls...you're both pretty.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We went to SMU... we know.

[KnuckleStang]

LOL...you DAMN right.

[FloridaMustang]

I love this thread. Keep stallion fired up! BTW Stal, during which era did you work for the athletic dept?

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by UNFMustang06:
<B>I love this thread. Keep stallion fired up! BTW Stal, during which era did you work for the athletic dept?</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I like it when Stallion is fired up too. Frankly, I would probably like him in real life, because he is passionate and it is easy to get under his skin.

All you have to do to fire him up on this board is talk about Mike Cavan...

Mike Cavan's win total decrease annually
Response: OH HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH TOM ROSSLEY; YOU PEOPLE ARE SO FOOLISH

I didn't mention Rossley...
20%, THAT'S ALL HE WON WAS 20%. CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE THAT DUMB. JUST WHAT WE NEED, ANOTHER 'ROSSLEY WAS JUST ABOUT TO TURN THE CORNER GUY'

ummm, didn't mention Rossley...
IT'S GUYS LIKE YOU MAN; YOU'RE THE REASON WE GOT THE DEATH PENALTY

what are you talking about...
WHAT ABOUT BENNETT'S HOME OPENER AGAINST NAVY. PROBABLY THE MOST PATHETIC DISPLAY I'VE EVER SEEN TO LOSE BY 30 TO NAVY

Ya, except Cavan lost 46-16 in his home debut to Navy. They even returned two blocked extra points for two-point conversions....
YOU'RE PATHETIC.

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Go Red, Go Blue, It's only a message board Stallion, S-M-U!!!

[FloridaMustang]

I **** my pants laughing at the last line. Thanks

[OldPony]

Illegal payments exist and probably always have. That wasn't solely what the DP was about. It was WHO was involved in the payments and their cover up. From coaches to the President to the Board of Regents. One President,Paul Hardin even resigned to go to Drew U because he was threatened if he was to blow the whistle. Many other schools have had illegal payments from boosters, coaches etc but what made us different besides the repeat offender status (ie past violations and resulting penalities didn't have the required deterrent effect desired by the NCAA)was the corruption of the highest level of the University (and the ability for the NCAA to prove it-thanks to Clements). That is what set the table for a goofball like Pye to get his way. That is why we haven't been able to come back yet.
Slowly things have changed to where we are getting closer to being able to build a winner but some jock friendly majors which can help not only recruting at the HS level but also allow for transfer of JC hours are still missing. Many of the "academics" at SMU are still fighting any change which they see as going back to the old ways and the huge embarrassment to SMU created by the illegal funds program and the resulting DP. We like to play the game that no one else has been so cruelly treated but so far I can't find anyone who was so guilty from top to bottom. There are other repeat violaters who should have gotten the DP since SMU but none whose situation was as corrupt throughout the administration of the school.

[EastStang]

Ditto on that. Unfortunately, we have to try and be a pure as Caesar's wife (not literally, just figuratively as some Caesars' wives were not umm real pure). Anyway, the payoffs were going on during the Fry era when I was there, as they were throughout the SWC. Don't tell me that UT and A&M administrations knew nothing of the payoffs there. In the 1970's, "Meat on the Hoof" was published documenting Darrell Royal's UT football program. I cannot believe that administrators did not notice scholarship athletes being moved about from dorm to dorm on the whim of the coach, or football players skipping classes and receiving passing grades. The only difference was the Code of Silence of UT was somehow maintained. Ours was not and because a Governor of the state was involved it became big news.

[MrMustang1965]

Wow. I didn't intend for this thread to become another DP discussion. That being said...can anyone tell me why the h*ll former Texas Governor William P. Clements is not serving time for what he did?

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"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!" S.M.U. SPIRIT: IT STARTS NOW!