part of the problem or part of the solution

[Dark Horse]

Mr. Rogers:

I have several reactions to your post:

(1) It's a great addition to this site when passionate parents like you share your thoughts and feelings. When we see and hear how hard Justin has worked to get bigger and stronger and tougher and better, that is a direct reflection of you and your family. As many have said here, we get extremely frustrated when we lose a single game, and when we lose more than one, we get more frustrated. The reason it bothers us, of course, is because we love SMU and the Mustangs, and we want so badly to have a winning team. Thanks for reminding us that it's just as hard, if not moreso, for the coaches, players and players' families.
(2) I promise -- AND I CHALLENGE ALL PONYFANS -- to join you, standing on EVERY third and fourth down (regardless of the score) and to scream until my lungs give out.
(3) I challenge all of the players to work as hard as Justin does -- on the practice field, in the weight room, at the dining room table -- to get as big and strong as possible. I want to see a story on PonyFans.com next spring about how a couple dozen guys packed on the muscle in the offseason like Justin did this year. Hell, he should distribute a flyer about muscle-gaining workouts and mutrition -- not to undermine Coach Faucette, but it's clear Justin knows what the hell he's doing. (Of course, it also helps to have a college-age guy's metabolism .... can you imagine the results if the rest of us ate like he does?)
(4) Please tell Justin that we express these opinions because we DO care and because we DO want them to win. We are, after all, PonyFans, and always will be.
(5) I met Justin briefly after scrimmage in the spring (last year) and he shook my son's hand and asked something about whether my son is going to play for the Mustangs one day. Because of that day, my son now wears #40 on his youth football team. And yes, he wants to play for the Ponies.

You've raised a fantastic young man. I'm extremely proud to say he plays for MY team.

Of course, I'm proud of all of our players. Now go shock the world and beat the hell out of Marshall!

[PK]

Ditto to all of the above and Amen.

[stangdad 40]

I appreciate all the kind remarks but its not why i wrote the post, this team is full of kids like justin.i understand your frustration but its 2005 and were 1-3 should be2-2.havent played well last two games, no excuses and my son will be the first to tell you he might of played ok it wasnt good enough we lost.but I believe this team has the talent to turn this around and have a very good year.i applaud those who stay and stand because it does make a huge difference to the players.I appreciate all the fans who have stuck by the program.I am trying to challenge each one of us to do whatever it is you feel can help this team reach the level it wants to reach,I can whine about the last 18 years and do nothing or i can choose to try and do something about it. I will motivate my son and his teammates,I will stand on 3rd 4th downs and i will try to get everyone else too.I will do everything in my power along with countless others to help turn this around.were all in this together and just because i've only been a pony fan for 4 years now dosen't make me less of one than anybody else.I've given money, time,and countless hours. were not here for just the 5 years than gone...

[Mexmustang]

From a father's perspective what is the problem? We don't lose because the fans are waiting to see how we will lose and don't stand until they can be sure we will win (TCU). If that were true, no team would ever win on the road. What is the team saying? We see the nepotism on the special teams coaching, the blundered calls by the offensive coaches and we get discuraged from the stands. Even our extra points scheme looks like a play out of high school in the 70's.

[tmustangp]

Mr. Rogers:

I could not agree more w/ what everyone has said about your son and I hope you print all these out and give them to him. As a 23 yr old whose earliest memories are watching the mustangs at texas stadium, I can say that there are very few students and young alumni who know about the glory days. What I am finding now a days is that kids are coming from out of state to go to school here and there first thoughts are 1)great party school 2)great school 3)girls are gorgeous (not in any particular order).. my point is that they grow up cheering for Ark, lsu, alabama, usc whoever, but they come to this school thinking our team sucks and then we win 5 games in their four years and they continue to think our team sucks..
Trust me this drives me absolutely nuts. After we beat TCU, about four of my friends who graduated from smu wore texas shirts out to bars and were flashing hook em horns all night b/c UT beat Ohio ST that night. It just makes my blood boil but it is the truth.
I think I read that there are roughly 60,000-70,000 smu alumni in the world. well there are probably about 60,000 ut and A&M grads in the metroplex.. Unfortunately the numbers are not backing us and I just wish that there were more people who were like the posters on this site and would cheer for smu till they died.
I guarantee I will, I will never stop cheering for smu.
But unfortunately there is only one cure right now, it is not to fire copeland, it is not to fire bennett, it is to WIN and WIN SOON

[jtstang]

But unfortunately there is only one cure right now, it is not to fire copeland, it is not to fire bennett, it is to WIN and WIN SOON

Of course, that has been the cure for the last ten years, and this program has only gotten sicker during that time.