Craig James On ESPN, POYFAN When Convenient

[San Diego Frog]

Craig James: (3:01 PM ET ) TCU's the best of the rest...unfortunately for them, they lost to my Ponies of SMU. Don't you know they'd like that game back.



The question he was answering was which non-BCS teams have seperated themselves this season.

Go check it out on ESPN.com


Craig James seems to be a ponyfan when it's convenient to him. I can't believe you guys put up with this imbecile. This is the same guy trashing you guys at the beginning of the season. :(

[jtstang]

I can't believe you guys put up with this imbecile. This is the same guy trashing you guys at the beginning of the season.

What are we supposed to do other than put up with him? Besides, he's done nothing except make honest observations.

[San Diego Frog]

Yeah, I guess your right. Their is nothing you can do. I just hate people like Dickerson and James. I just think it's classless when you graduated from the program, and then to talk bad about it as much as they do. Then James being a hypocrite praising his alma mater when it's convenient. It would be the same as LT to act like he never attended TCU. Oh well, I guess this is the price you pay for not being a big well known BCS team.

[Stallion]

What good SMU fan shouldn't trash this university's athletic program. Bring it on but get it right. Point fingers and let's get this solved. We don't need Frogs telling us which SMU players are "loyal" because I think "loyalty" requires speaking the truth. In my opinion the "loyal" former players have kept quiet way too long. My complaint is that James is one former player whose opinion would be respected but he doesn't seem to have the will to articulate why SMU needs to make changes and in fact has been the poster boy kissin' up to the inadequate changes made during the Commitment. Blaming Dickerson and James is a "straw man" designed to reflect criticism from the simply horrible athletic program that been run at SMU for 16 years.

[HorsePower]

.... Craig James seems to be a ponyfan when it's convenient to him. I can't believe you guys put up with this imbecile. This is the same guy trashing you guys at the beginning of the season.

I agree with you. Here's a guy who has a national audience, and while I'm not suggesting he should go wave his SMU pom-poms on TV, he should slip in more stories about "when I was there, Eric Dickerson and I ...." or ".... that guy reminds me of the great Michael Carter from my old SMU days ...."

It's not the most objective move in the world, but every other former player does it. He comes out in the paper bad-mouthing the school from which he graduated and made him enough of a star that the USFL showered him with money, but then he also shows up at the press conference announcing the school's move to C-USA, telling everyone how this is going to get fans excited again, get people back in the seats again, etc., etc.

I know he was a great player -- I saw him. I also believe that it hurts him to see SMU struggle. But has he ever offered to get involved? To help in anyway? To put his money or his name to good use? I just don't know. About 99 percent of SMU stuff that I hear from this guy is negative toward SMU, either directly or indirectly.

[Stallion]

99% of what has happened at SMU over the last 16 years IS BAD. Where do we rank among the 117 Division 1A schools in Championships, Bowl Games and winning seasons over the last 16 years. In the lower 99% or pretty damn close. For him to say otherwise would simply make him look like a fool. Quit blaming Craig James or Eric Dickerson for the stupid decisions made by this university. If I was in his position of visibility I would be about 10 times more critical of the situation.

[MrMustang1965]

This says it all...

[San Diego Frog]

[quote="Stallion"]99% of what has happened at SMU over the last 16 years IS BAD. Where do we rank among the 117 Division 1A schools in Championships, Bowl Games and winning seasons over the last 16 years. In the lower 99% or pretty damn close. For him to say otherwise would simply make him look like a fool. Quit blaming Craig James or Eric Dickerson for the stupid decisions made by this university. If I was in his position of visibility I would be about 10 times more critical of the situation.[/quote]

That's the difference between you and people who have class. Classy players would help. Former players who have any class should try and help their alma maters when their down. Your college is the team that got you there. The fact that you say you would be 10 times more critical shows me you are truly ignorant. If you are in a position of influence you should try to help and give back to the people that got you there. Obviously Dickerson and James were all about the benjamins. No Class whatsoever. Maybe if former players were positive and tried to help rather than only speak at SMU engagements if they are paid you might be able to dig yourself out of this hole quicker. I have to agree with the statement above you don't have to go out of your way to praise SMU, but a little recognition and praise will go a long way in the court of public opinion.

[MrMustang1965]

Holy crap...don't you have a game against a Pacific Time Zone MWC team to get ready for this weekend (San Diego State) than to come on here and spout off a buncha sh*t?

[ALEX LIFESON]

hmmmmmm Craig James looked good in front of that CUSA banner, wonder if he would be interested in the position where HE could make the changes?

[Billy Joe]

It is simple: change the athletic model and win. Do not change the athletic model and lose. Craig "has been" James can say what he wants. His opinion does not mean squat.

[couch 'em]

That's the difference between you and people who have class. Classy players would help. Former players who have any class should try and help their alma maters when their down. Your college is the team that got you there. The fact that you say you would be 10 times more critical shows me you are truly ignorant. If you are in a position of influence you should try to help and give back to the people that got you there. Obviously Dickerson and James were all about the benjamins. No Class whatsoever. Maybe if former players were positive and tried to help rather than only speak at SMU engagements if they are paid you might be able to dig yourself out of this hole quicker. I have to agree with the statement above you don't have to go out of your way to praise SMU, but a little recognition and praise will go a long way in the court of public opinion.

SMU does not WANT to win. Why would they waste their effort?

[PlanoStang]

"SMU does not WANT to win" I guess you mean the higher ups don't care
if we win or not. I'm fairly sure that's the case with Turner on up. Also
down a little with the faculty governance whatever weight that really
has.

Maybe if we all wrote IOU $XXXX.XX if, and when the SMU Mustangs
Football Team makes it to a bowl game in the next 3 seasons, and
mailed it back in Sustentation envelopes, etc., and along with your
normal contribution when your Methodist Church, if you attend, passes
the plate around it would get some one's attention.

Its kinda like a bet, but what are the odds

[EastStang]

When a program has been as far down us we have for 16 years, its tough to waive your pennants every week when you are a network announcer for sports. Craig lets it slip into the conversation when warranted. He shows up when he's asked to show up and it doesn't interfere with his job (covering college football). Here's a guy who played here, went to the USFL (where he permanently blew out his knee) and then contributed to the NE Patriots getting to the Super Bowl at basically 1/2 speed. He also came back to school and finished his degree work. I've heard him introduced on more than one show as "half of SMU's famed Pony Express backfield".

[regis]

That's the difference between you and people who have class. Classy players would help...

tcu people lecturing on class? Now THAT'S funny....