Generations of SMU Fans

[Big12Mustang]

Millenial here.

Part of the new guard.

[couch 'em]

Class of '05. Very, very few classmates understand my even reading about SMU sports. Frankly I don't understand it either.

[novasmu]

Gen X Law Grad

Was optimistic about SMU football when I first got here. At first, for some reason, thought SMU would be at the top of the WAC when the SWC disbanded. Then soon realized that the university didn’t really care and stopped following the team.

Last game I watched for 14 years was the 1997 loss to TCU. Then I caught the last part of the 2011 win over TCU on the radio. Most excited I've ever been about a college football game, and have been following the team ever since.

[Arkpony]

I am one of the Greatest Generation. Went to school with Meredith.

[SMU2007]

Jealous of the old guys who actually have seen successful smu sports

[ponyphi07]

Class of 2010. People want to - really want to - care about football. But, for obvious reasons, there is no earthly reason for them to do so. And so they don't. At all. There is considerable buzz, even from lazy alumni, about basketball.

I think there is a group of us that do yearn for a reason to invest both financially and emotionally in the football program, but the leadership over the last several years have given us absolutely zero incentive to do so. I can remember getting calls and texts around the time of the Arizona State disaster saying that if SMU was serious about football we'd have canned June's sorry [deleted] and found a guy that actually wants to be here and won't actively recruit for another program while still on the payroll. The battered wife syndrome of our leadership is what has kept a large amount of the younger alumni away from Ford Stadium. Well, that and the complete embarrassment this year has turned into.

I said it last year after 5-7 that keeping Jones, even for a year, would set this program back 5 to 7 years. So while it might've been a tough financial move for SMU and the CoC to part ways with June, its going to cost them (and us) a lot more in the long run. This year has basically been 1989 all over again. The next coach is walking into a total disaster. Thanks June and thanks to SMU for the "extension" after last season.

Class of 2007 here--Completely agree with this Stallion post here and his post from earlier. In my opinion, Gerald Turner has done great things for the school, but once he is gone we need a better leader, not purely a slimy fundraiser. Thanks Gerald, but hit the road. I have seen nothing but horrible decisions with the football program since I became a fan in 1998. It is not easy to do, I understand. However, we are in Texas and I see TCU and Baylor becoming TOP 5 programs. I just want more than a 6-6 season. Once we get better leadership at the top that is not a complete [deleted] I think we will turn this thing around. We will have the nicest campus in the country in a booming city. It will work eventually. It's Gerry's fault we are in this mess football wise, but also the reason for the new buildings. He should have forced the CoC's hand. This head coach hire is important but so is our next President (2016 I believe). His lucky hire after multiple coaches declined him worked out (Larry Brown). Thank God or else we would be completely irrelevant.

[fifty]

I would take 6-6 right about now

[PonyKai]

Remember if Gerald goes, doesn't the BOT find his replacement? And if the BOT doesn't give a sh*t about SMU athletics, and isn't stocked with SMU grads who actually care about their alma mater, why on earth should we expect them to find anything even marginally better or more supportive than RGT?

[StallionsModelT]

Remember if Gerald goes, doesn't the BOT find his replacement? And if the BOT doesn't give a sh*t about SMU athletics, and isn't stocked with SMU grads who actually care about their alma mater, why on earth should we expect them to find anything even marginally better or more supportive than RGT?

This is what scares me too. There are several members of our BoT and the CoC who still have the battered wife syndrome that plagues this program. They have no real vision and no real plan to get us where we need to be. All the money in the world is pointless if you don't have the vision and drive to achieve greatness. With June they saw progress and I genuinely believe they felt a 6-6 or 7-5 season at SMU was as good as we could do. If that is truly the case then shut it down forever. We need leaders who will hold our programs to a standard of excellence. We seem more than happy to reward mediocrity even in the face of blatant disloyalty.

I think what truly kills those of us younger alumni is that SMU has such tremendous potential. Beautiful campus, great city, wealthy donors, good academics, good (not great) facilities, etc.... To see how this program has floundered over the past 30 years is criminal.

[03Mustang]

Class of 03...I remember graduating and thinking well, at least the football program can't get any worse.

Yeah.

[NewAgeMustange]

This is what scares me too. There are several members of our BoT and the CoC who still have the battered wife syndrome that plagues this program. They have no real vision and no real plan to get us where we need to be. All the money in the world is pointless if you don't have the vision and drive to achieve greatness. With June they saw progress and I genuinely believe they felt a 6-6 or 7-5 season at SMU was as good as we could do. If that is truly the case then shut it down forever. We need leaders who will hold our programs to a standard of excellence. We seem more than happy to reward mediocrity even in the face of blatant disloyalty.

I think what truly kills those of us younger alumni is that SMU has such tremendous potential. Beautiful campus, great city, wealthy donors, good academics, good (not great) facilities, etc.... To see how this program has floundered over the past 30 years is criminal.

If and when Turner goes, we all need to flood the BOT with messages about supporting the university both athletically and academically will increase the rankings and brand of SMU

[Fresno Mustang]

Graduated in May of this year. When I took my visit to SMU in high school it was the spring semester after we beat up on Nevada and it was the most buzz I have ever seen for SMU football. Between that and watching Junes Hawaii teams on the west coast growing up I was sold on SMU being on the rise and its a big reason why I chose to come here over tcu. I still really believe that a good hire this year and a coach that can seek the students can bring people to the stadium.

[S....M....U]

Class of 10....didn't think things could get this bad again. Although several items indicated it was headed this way. Hope we make the right choices for our program and school in the coming weeks.


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[ghost]

I thought SMU fired Hayden Fry or did he leave to take a better opportunity at NTSU? Sometimes the grass just looks greener elsewhere but it's really not.

[mrydel]

He was fired but although I doubt he knew it at the time, it was the best thing that could have happened. He had been at SMU too long and was beyond stressed with the demands on him. He got new life in a relaxed atmosphere at NTSU and then grew to great heights from there.