Calling Out DiamondM75, and the other Sunshine brigade

[that's great raplh]

I have been around this thing since 1968..., season ticket holder from 77-94, fball & bball(I moved away in 95), Mustang Club giver, board member....

and...lets give H2L some major credit - look at that record of support

I, by comparison, am pathetic - although a fan since I started SMU in 1990, I have not been a season ticket holder since graduation in 1994. Granted,I moved far away after graduati , but I onlyjusted joined the Mustang club after the TCU win.

[that's great raplh]

I have been around this thing since 1968..., season ticket holder from 77-94, fball & bball(I moved away in 95), Mustang Club giver, board member....

and...lets give H2L some major credit - look at that record of support

I, by comparison, am pathetic - although a fan since I started SMU in 1990, I have not been a season ticket holder since graduation in 1994. Granted,I moved far away after graduati , but I onlyjusted joined the Mustang club after the TCU win.

[DiamondM75]

Thank you Corso.

You see what I have seen all year. This team is much improved over the past 3 years, however, the record will not reflect the improvements. My hope this season was we would go 4-7 or maybe 5-6, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. In the past 2 years, so many games were over at halftime, this year is so much different. Although we are not posting a lot of Ws, we are playing entertaining games. Games that are not over until the final minutes of the game. Just look at the scores, all we need is just one more TD in each game and we are 6-2 at this point. Disappointing, yes. Sprialing down trend, NO WAY!

Is this a sunshine post? You bet. Because I can see the improvement and the progress we are making. If you don't see it, you are not watching or listening to the games. If you are simply looking at the W/L record this team looks just like it has the past 3 seasons, but look past the record, look at the scores and the play, and you will see the improvement.

Another item to look at is the level of competition. CUSA is a stronger conference that the WAC. If we had stayed in the WAC, we could possibly be 6-2 or 5-3 at this point, but we are playing better competition which is also affecting the W/L record.

Now I know some of you are going to blast me for posting such a sunshine post, but I believe we are on the rise. SMU football was so deep in the hole four years ago. We are starting to climb out, but it is a long, long ladder and we can't climb it over night. Forest Gregg even said, that it would take 10 years for this program to recover from the DP. Well you can say it has been 19 years, but I disagree. It has only been 3 or 4. The Pye model did not start to be abolished until PB came to SMU and we have only made major steps to rid our atheltic department of these restraints in the past 2 years. Firing the coach at this point would be a major mistake. I remember the early 70's when we fired Hayden Fry when he went 7-4 and we replaced him with Dave Smith. Just imagine where we would be if we had not made that tragic mistake. Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.

Coach Bennett has done more for this program in his 4 years than any other coach since the DP. And don't post win loss records from Gregg and Rossley. Look at the overall program. We have more talent now than we have had since the early days of Cavan. We have more talent on the bench than we have had since the DP. We are now at a point where we can actually redshirt almost an entire freshman class, we can be more selective in our recruits and we can better recruit JUCO's. All this team needs now is just one more touchdown per game and we are around the corner.

Now at this point, what is the problem? Is it Burn's play calling? Is it PB overriding Rusty's play calling? Do we need a stronger QB? Is it team toughness and heart? Is it because PB is defense minded and lacks offense savy? I can't tell you. I don't know. I am not on the practice field and in the locker room, and I doubt any of you are. Hopefully we will find answers to these questions and solutions to our problems soon. Then we will see the light at the opening of the deep hole we are in.

[Nacho]

I want to congratulate DM75 for writing the ultimate Sunshine post. Bravo! Here, here! Reup everybody. We are only a year away.

Here are the problems in no particular order: Bennett, Copeland and Turner. Chose one, chose all. They are all to blame for the sorry mess that is SMU football.

[BRStang]

DiamondM75 wrote:

Thank you Corso.

You see what I have seen all year. This team is much improved over the past 3 years, however, the record will not reflect the improvements. My hope this season was we would go 4-7 or maybe 5-6, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. In the past 2 years, so many games were over at halftime, this year is so much different. Although we are not posting a lot of Ws, we are playing entertaining games. Games that are not over until the final minutes of the game. Just look at the scores, all we need is just one more TD in each game and we are 6-2 at this point. Disappointing, yes. Sprialing down trend, NO WAY!

Is this a sunshine post? You bet. Because I can see the improvement and the progress we are making. If you don't see it, you are not watching or listening to the games. If you are simply looking at the W/L record this team looks just like it has the past 3 seasons, but look past the record, look at the scores and the play, and you will see the improvement.

Another item to look at is the level of competition. CUSA is a stronger conference that the WAC. If we had stayed in the WAC, we could possibly be 6-2 or 5-3 at this point, but we are playing better competition which is also affecting the W/L record.

Now I know some of you are going to blast me for posting such a sunshine post, but I believe we are on the rise. SMU football was so deep in the hole four years ago. We are starting to climb out, but it is a long, long ladder and we can't climb it over night. Forest Gregg even said, that it would take 10 years for this program to recover from the DP. Well you can say it has been 19 years, but I disagree. It has only been 3 or 4. The Pye model did not start to be abolished until PB came to SMU and we have only made major steps to rid our atheltic department of these restraints in the past 2 years. Firing the coach at this point would be a major mistake. I remember the early 70's when we fired Hayden Fry when he went 7-4 and we replaced him with Dave Smith. Just imagine where we would be if we had not made that tragic mistake. Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.

Coach Bennett has done more for this program in his 4 years than any other coach since the DP. And don't post win loss records from Gregg and Rossley. Look at the overall program. We have more talent now than we have had since the early days of Cavan. We have more talent on the bench than we have had since the DP. We are now at a point where we can actually redshirt almost an entire freshman class, we can be more selective in our recruits and we can better recruit JUCO's. All this team needs now is just one more touchdown per game and we are around the corner.

Now at this point, what is the problem? Is it Burn's play calling? Is it PB overriding Rusty's play calling? Do we need a stronger QB? Is it team toughness and heart? Is it because PB is defense minded and lacks offense savy? I can't tell you. I don't know. I am not on the practice field and in the locker room, and I doubt any of you are. Hopefully we will find answers to these questions and solutions to our problems soon. Then we will see the light at the opening of the deep hole we are in.

What are you, a YMCA youth soccer coach or something..."Winning is not what matters, it's how you play the game!"

My gosh, man, I want to be proud of this team so bad it hurts, but just about everything in your post is wrong. WINNING IS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS!!!!

Bennett has been just about the worst coach post-DP; we still have marginal talent no better than the Rossley or Cavan years; in case you haven't noticed, we're still playing in a watered-down conference from SWC days and we ALWAYS WILL NOW!! Other than alumni and staff, nobody in the sports world gives a cr@p about any of the teams we play; AND WE CONTINUE TO LOSE!!!!! LOSE!!!! SAY IT AGAIN: LOSE!!!!

Believe it or not, your sunshine HURTS this team and the people who actually care about getting better. Copeland and Turner LOVE people like you...if all fans were like you and didn't expect to win but "to just see a good game" where we lose by "only a touchdown"...my gosh, I'm sorry, but you just make me sick.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Kind of like Rangers fans? lol

[DiamondM75]

I just love messing with your minds. You called me out for sunshine, so you got sunshine. Do you want me to say fire Bennett, fire Copeland, fire Turner, fire the trustees? WHY? That is what everybody says, and it won't fix the problem.

I know how to fix the problem, but this university and athletic department don't have the balls to do it.

[HixsontoLeVias]

BRStang and Jtstang are my NEW hereos!!!

[PlanoStang]

I just love messing with your minds. You called me out for sunshine, so you got sunshine. Do you want me to say fire Bennett, fire Copeland, fire Turner, fire the trustees? WHY? That is what everybody says, and it won't fix the problem.

I know how to fix the problem, but this university and athletic department don't have the balls to do it.

Firing the trustees might work provided they were replaced with football
fans.

Hmmm, who fires the trustees? The Methodist Church?

Hope H2L didn't watch the Plowboy game today.

[KnuckleStang]

Firing the trustees might work provided they were replaced with football
fans.

Hmmm, who fires the trustees? The Methodist Church?

Hope H2L didn't watch the Plowboy game today.

That's an excellent question. Who actually has the power to fire an SMU trustee? Would it have to be another trustee doing the firing? Anybody know how this works? I'm not sure it's even possible the way Pye set it up.

[PK]

Firing the trustees might work provided they were replaced with football
fans.

Hmmm, who fires the trustees? The Methodist Church?

Hope H2L didn't watch the Plowboy game today.

That's an excellent question. Who actually has the power to fire an SMU trustee? Would it have to be another trustee doing the firing? Anybody know how this works? I'm not sure it's even possible the way Pye set it up.

Don't you just love Google? From the Faculty Handbook:

ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION
OF THE UNIVERSITY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board of Trustees, which governs Southern Methodist University, consists of forty-three members. Twenty-six of these members are nominated by the Board upon the recommendation of the Trusteeship Committee, and twelve members are recommended by the College of Bishops. Trustees are appointed by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. Trustees’ terms are for four years, and no member of the Board may serve in excess of three successive terms. In addition, there are five ex officio members of the Board of Trustees: The President of the University, the Executive Director of the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, and elected representatives from the faculty (the president of the Faculty Senate), the Alumni Association, and the Student Body. These ex officio members serve for terms of varying lengths.
The management and direction of all affairs and interests of the University are vested in the Board of Trustees. The Board may adopt rules and regulations for these purposes. (Bylaws, Article I, 1.07).
The Board of Trustees has standing committees on Academic Policy, Planning and Management; Athletics; Audit; Buildings and Grounds; Development, Alumni Relations and Public Affairs; Finance; Investments; Legal and Government Affairs; and Student Affairs; as well as an Executive Committee and a Trustee Committee. (Bylaws, Article II, 2.01b-2.12). Faculty members serve with vote on most of these committees. The faculty ex officio member of the Board also serves as a member of the Executive and Trusteeship committees.

Do you think cronyism might be involved???? Try and get yourself into that group. Alumni as a whole have no say or vote except through the ex officio member from the Alumni Association who has no vote.

It would be interesting to know how the membership was determined and set up after the dp debacle.

[EastStang]

Okay HtoL what bandaid do you want to put on this hemmorhaging wound? Fire Copeland? Fire Bennett? Fire Burns? Fire the Board of Trustees? Drop to 1-AA? Quit football entirely? Some of us know that there are institutional problems here, and we have a football team that makes mistakes. Our QB makes some bad reads and decisions. Yet he starts because he gives us the best chance to win. What does that tell you about the rest of our QB corps? It means he's the least mistake prone of the bunch. A sophomore linebacker in our defensive corps makes a mistake which leads to a big play. I've seen NFL linebackers make mistakes which lead to big plays. Happens. The fact is that we are in fact a better team this year than last year. We are in each game and we have had a chance to win all but one game all year (even that one might have been closer if we had not fumbled at the end of the first half on their 3 yard line). In a close game, mistakes change the outcome. Texas could have made 100 mistakes on Saturday, and no one would have noticed because they were so much better than their opponent. We don't have that luxury. Have we turned the corner? No. But we are at least getting close to the intersection. That said, I would look to the future. I would start playing Phillips to see what he can do over these last three games. I would put Givens out there. I would not burn a red-shirt at this point in the year. I would rotate my underclass players with my senior players to get some reps. This is now the time to build for next year. Three good games with solid underclassman participation would help. But first and foremost, I want to beat Rice.

[jtstang]

Okay HtoL what bandaid do you want to put on this hemmorhaging wound?

There is no bandaid which can stop this bleeding. I think all he wants is for the sunshiners to acknowledge the reality that is the gaping wound, rather than singing rah-rah for the "good try." Surely everybody can agree by now that we have a HORRIBLE football team, the best efforts of the players notwithstanding. And have had for a long time.

[DiamondM75]

I want to congratulate DM75 for writing the ultimate Sunshine post. Bravo! Here, here! Reup everybody. We are only a year away.

Thank you. More to follow soon.

[BUS]

We are better. Bottom line.
We are not winning - DUH

I want to see Phillips play in the next three games. It works or it does not and he is offered a chance to play Linebacker next year. ( that is if he will hit anyone )

Lets get 4 to 6 JUCO's in here and fill the rest with recruits that can be red-shirted.

My TCU nieghbor had the game on his dish ( a little late to turn on ) and even he says. You team is much better. Get over the mistake, like we played the TCU game, and we are winning.

Another point.... not only is this team learning to win but the coaching staff and head coach.

DO NOT get rid of Bennett now.