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I don't get it. We have a brand new stadium and a great institution. I know football has been down for a while, but that's no excuse for there to be 2,000 people at Ford every Staurday. Call it corny, call it crazy, but if there was better fan support, the guys would definetly be more motivated to win. I mean, the band is there, every game, yelling, screaming, playing, and doing everything they can to cheer them on. Shouldn't we??

The students, for one, simply do not know how to be fans. Most of them are from private schools where they had real sports like Lacross. They don't have experience of football tradition so they don't have anything to bring to SMU. Not to mention that many of the students are too hung over from their "way cool" crush party the night before to show up. Either that or they are ironing their plegde jersey. As for the general public that is a direct reflection of the marketing department. Shooting free T-shirts out of a big rubber band is great, but lets really get something done. As I remember it TCU had some good commercials, and we had Josh McCown flippin' hotdogs in someones back yard. WOW! I can sit here and point fingers all I want, but what really is going to make a difference is wins. I just wanted to point out a few other problems.

[This message has been edited by Texastang (edited 02-07-2001).]

I've posted this on the other board and nobody wants to hear it, but here goes anyhow. My non-Mustang went to College Station in the summer of '95 unsure about what an AGGIE really was. He went to Fish Camp for a few days and came back a certified AGGIE. The camp is mostly run by kids or at least the part where they teach and pass along the traditions. However, many of their old alums show up, on their own time, just to reinforce all the hype. Most of their incoming freshmen attend and it makes all the difference.

Until SMU implements a similar program with the incentives needed to insure attendance, incoming freshmen will just drift and wander through 4-5 years of luke warm school support.

Plus, Peruna1, Most of us are in that 2000. You're talking to the wrong people. This isn't MM's, where everyone encourages each other not to show up. We are the ones that are there.

Agree 100%. I've been bitchin' about the lousy job that's been done of marketing this team for years. What happened to Mustang Mania? Remember those ridiculous commercials the year that we moved to the Cotton Bowl -- one in particular where the team couldn't find its way out of the locker room? That certainly inspired a lot of pride... NOT!

SMUDad-
Freshman are invited to go to Mustang Coral, it is not mandatory. They are trying to teach freshman about some history and school traditions--I think--and it is a place for freshman to bond, like a retreat. It is not mandatory though.

Athletics needs to get involved in this and start teaching them young, like your posts said. If they did, you would see a definite change in school spirit in two or three years. I don't think that athletics is talked about or mentioned in this, but it should be.

PerunaPunch-
I think the new marketing dept is doing a good job. Marketing takes money. The SMU marketing dept has none. I think the SMU in your back yard commercials were kind of funny and a great way to use our little resources. There are a lot of little things going on that the marketing dept is doing which are great, but without money you have nothing. I know that they are working their butts off over there trying to get these lazy students off their butts and to exciting sporting events, but they have had little success. Let's face it, the students have no interest in coming to games because they are selfish and have no desire to back their school. What these morons do not realize is great athletics bring more attention to a school. A lot of business people are huge sports fans. When SMU does well, it gets in the press. People here about it and connections are made. SMU will be better at sports if students supported them, trust me, they would. The students do not understand this, if they did I bet they would be at more games, because as I said they are selfish. They think the game does not benefit them so why should they go.

Sure, if their frat or sorority is being presented at halftime etc, they are there, but once that is over, see ya, bye bye. They are selfish, that is the bottom line.

Here are two examples of excuses frat guys have given me this month of why they are not attending that night's basketball game. I am dead serious, this is real:
1)The pledges have study hall and I have to monitor them
2)We have a victory party.

That victory party would have been twice as good if you preceded it with the Tulsa game, then got loaded and went out. What time did this people get to the party? 10:30. What time did the game end? 9:50.

It truly is the student's loss. What a shame.

Sorry if there are typos and grammer errors, I am tired.

Great post - now that makes sense!!!!

I agree - good post. I also agree with the policy of the freshman orientation being optional. However, there must be a way of making it so attractive that 95% of our incoming kids want to go. And your idea of involving the athletes is good as well. The football team's time (at least select members at any given camp)could be better spent, at least for the foreseeable future, in drumming up interest.

It also seems that with our fine arts department, we might be able to spend our funds better in-house, making up promotions and carrying them out. Kids offered credit for such projects just might hop on the band wagon.

Ultimately, being a fan cannot be just a 'spectator sport'. A school full of kids waiting around on someone to do it, or worse, buy it, for them will just wither away in fan support- as we seem to be doing currently.

Although the Ford Stadium helped, a winning team and exciting games still attracts more....

PerunaPunch - well said. Absolutely accurate, as always. Welcome back. (Where have you been?)

Want to solve the attendance problem? Check this out. Go to any high school game, football or basketball .... who are the most loyal fans there? The band and the cheerleaders. So, set up a deal where SMU invites high school cheerleaders and bands to perform -- large groups, combining from several schools. This will sell, because it's their chance to perform on a college field, etc. Let the students in free, make their parents buy tickets -- and they will. Then bring the same groupd back repeatedly, maybe once a year or twice a year, and bingo, you're building SMU fans. As they become more familiar with the Ponies, they will want to come back, either to perform again, to see the team or to see their HS friends perform. Hell, they might even want to come to SMU as students, and already feel a sense of school spirit. And as they get older, they'll start buying tickets. Get the area kids involved for free, hit their families and friends for ticket$ and the fan base grows. Just make sure it's not a one-time deal.

I like the idea guru.

Hey Guru...excellent idea. You need to e-mail that to the athletic office and the marketing folks!!

[This message has been edited by PK (edited 02-13-2001).]

Remember Mustang Mania (if you are very old).. We had Band Day as a one of the promotions. At the game, some H.S. Bands came and performed with the Mustang Band at halftime. It brought a bunch of kids (with parents) to the game, plus added much excitement. If I remember right the promotions for 1978 were as follows:

*T Shirts (never will forget handing those out, it was like a riot)
*Methodist Youth
*Band Day
*Youth sports (YMCA & Pop Warner)
*Homecoming

Tons of things given out (all donated by sponsors for advertising) with a very limited budget. We can do alot of stuff for not alot of money, however a plan is needed and some contacts made to have it be successful.

guru, PLEASE email that to the athletic department!!!!! That is excellent!!!