Amateur and bush-league

[Hal]

Over the summer, I signed up for the SMU site over at scout.com, and I've regretted it. They had a couple of decent writers over the summer, who disappeared after a couple of months, but much of their content was poor. Nonetheless, I plunked down my money, under the optimistic hope that it would improve into something useful.

They have made promises all season that they haven't kept: "best coverage" and "best analysis" and "best photos" ... none of which have been delivered. This isn't a shill for PonyFans.com (which in my opinion IS the best at each of those), because I readily admit that the guys doing the new rivals.com site are off to a good start and seems to have promise to put together a site worth reading.

But last week, I got an written e-mail from the scout.com guys in which they flat-out begged for our attention and business ... a move which regrettably is understandable in a time when so many businesses are feeling a financial squeeze. I don't have a real problem with that, as long as they can overlook that little "have some pride" issue.

But then they specifically ask for PonyFans to go to their board - while acknowledging "that PonyFans.com is the message board is home for most" (WHAT???).

I know, it's not a crime or anything. But there are different ways of doing things. If they want to trumpet their content as the best (which is comically inaccurate), that's fine. But identifying a competitor (and in all honesty, they offer nothing that competes with PonyFans.com or the new rivals site ... although at least that also is a premium recruiting site) is just uncool and smacks of desperation and a lack of creativity. As much as anything else, it's just sad.

They even ask the readers for story ideas. For what? THEY DON'T WRITE ANYTHING. They do stale, superficial audio interviews that sound like they don't cover the team at all and probably have never been to a game. I know that's not true - they are there to take pictures - but there is zero content over there.

It was wrong when they first bowed to PonyFans.com (without even acknowledging the rivals site that already has far surpassed them) and then begged for what amount to charity visits to their site. The excitement surrounding June Jones justifiably grew the fan base to the point that if you want to pay for a site, it's worth considering, but if so, leave PonyFans as your primary site and give the new rivals guys a try - they talk to more recruits and they sometimes get actual information out of them. The scout site is a massive waste of time and money. It's just an amateur operation from top to bottom. I wasted a few bucks on it this year, and will not make that mistake again.

I've seen other threads on here about the emergence of the other sites, and when they get harsh, they get deleted, so I won't be surprised if/when the moderators pull this one off, too. But that thing is run by a bunch of hacks who clearly don't know what they're looking at if and when they go to games. If they ever put up anything of even minimal value, the information will end up here, anyway (and for free). But based on their track record, you don't have to hold your breath on that happening.

[PerunaPunch]

Gee Hal,

How do you really feel?

[Stallion]

I'd disagree pretty strongly-I've enjoyed the weekly, multiple audio reports from Jones, the OC, DC, and other position Coaches, he has contacted just about every recruit I know of with interest in SMU and has done multiple interviews with I'd bet about30-40 different players and at least one on most of the others. He had preseason stories on every recruit and stories about just about every preseason practice. What do you expect for your money? With Ponyfans, Scout and Rivals this year is probably the first where SMU fans can truly obtain information about the program that used to be only accessible to the Big Boys. The obvious reason why there isn't more content is because there are probably very few subscribers to make expanded coverage realistically and economically viable. What I am more often left wondering is whether the DMN really ever offers anything of value concerning SMU. That's money I'm not sure is worth it.

[Stallion]

29 stories, audio or other content in the last 6 days-again what exactly do you expect? Its damn sure better than the DMN with its couple of blurbs of recycled news we already knew from Scout, Rivals or this board anyway.

[Mustangsabu]

I love PonyFans, but the Scout site has some very useful, and abundant, material, and I certainly appreciate all the audio coverage.

In addition, the more sites that cover SMU, the better as far as I am concerned.

[expony18]

stallion- are you going to red river tomorrow

[Stallion]

Not sure-I've got my son for most of the weekend. I'll probably be there. The place to be is Cowboys Arlington tonite-that place is usually filled to the rafters on the nite before Thanksgiving.

[expony18]

i havent been to cowboys arlington in a long time, i cant believe that place is still open