ESPN Front Page: Dickerson says kill program

[ideal]

there is no magic curtain, jj didnt want ed around

[OR-See-Nee]

Seems to me that SMU is pretty good about building buildings and naming them after donors. If JJ wasn't getting what he needed from "upper management" then ED and his 4 friends should get together, pool some $$$, donate it to SMU with restrictions, for example "For building of an IPF and moving the field light posts." or "for a jet plane rental for football coaches to use to recruit players" etc. and name the IPF the "Eric Dickerson IPF and Car Wash" or whatever...

It's really not that hard. I don't have that kind of cash that I assume he does from playing in the NFL and doing whatever ED's been doing since, but he's in a position to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

[PoconoPony]

I didn't realize Dickerson was even involved with athletics at SMU since his part in getting them the death penalty! Do you really want a guy like that speaking for the university? Or is he not involved and just acting on his own with an opinion just like any other person, albeit one who could run fast. Is he an SMU graduate?

Dickerson has been very supportive of the football program since the hiring of JJ. He has been to many of the games, Hall of Fame events, vocal in the media and represented the university well. I have both seen and spoken with him at these activities. I know he is exasperated, as are most of us, with the direction of the program and especially football recruiting. I do, however, question whether or not he fully understands the academic adjustments made by the school for basketball and football. Notice I say basketball and football because those admission concessions DO NOT apply to all the other SMU sports. The "minor" sports coaches are held to all current SMU academic enrollment standards for the athletes they recruit. They have been told in no uncertain terms " do not to even ask" for exceptions for the lower standard afforded football and basketball. If we really wanted some of our other sports to be able to kick it up a notch then they need the lower standards. If there is a real complaint about enrollment standards it is with the other coaches and not football or basketball. Hope Eric is not speaking based on myth and/or misinformation and not fact.

[SC Pony]

When JJ came here he said that he only had a $50,000 recruiting budget at Hawai'i and that such amount didn't even cover airfares to recruit California. In Dallas, $50,000.00 would buy you 15,000 or so round trips to most local high schools in a low mpg vehicle ... if you cared to make the effort.

I love ED, but he's off base here.

[EastStang]

I guess I kind of echo ED's remarks to some degree. If we are not going to be competitive on the field, why go through the charade of having a football program. The question is what will it take to make us competitive on the field, not just in the AAC but against the likes of Baylor, TCU, and A&M. Is it coaching, admissions, facilities, academic opportunities, or $$$$? This is a multifaceted problem which needs some tweaks here and there. If we don't have the will or the ability to make the changes necessary to make us competitive, the SMU, ought to jump together to FCS. I'd rather be the biggest fish in a small pond, than chum.

[ponyboy]

HOW is he off base?

[Nacho]

not much manziel news today i guess.

[SC Pony]

seriously?

[Rebel10]

We don't know what all June was telling him about the current situation at SMU. He could have been filling ED's head full of the same stuff that the staff was filling Mexmustangs head with.

[Mustangs_Maroons]

fact is, you lose all credibility when you cast blame on the state of our football program and don't direct any of that blame at the HC.

for my part, I cast most of the blame for our current status with the HC, because at the end of the day, he is the face of the FB program and is ultimately responsible for its direction and decisions made.

[ponyboy]

Ok, but if upper leadership is recalcitrant and/or nonsupportive, there's not a lot a head coach *can* do. I do understand Rebel's point, though. That possibility did occur to me that JJ's been giving only his side of the story.

[Stangs1970]

What the Hell does this mean???????

"It's a tough question," Dickerson said Tuesday about the Mustangs' future. "The main thing is getting the help there, and I think June has been frustrated the last couple of years with not getting the help that he needed from upper management in the university."

It can only mean entrance requirements for athletes and someone here keeps saying its no problem. June bitched about it for years and it is pointed to by the press regularly.....................Which is it?

[ideal]

F june

[SoCal_Pony]

This is a multifaceted problem which needs some tweaks here and there. If we don't have the will or the ability to make the changes necessary to make us competitive, the SMU, ought to jump together to FCS. I'd rather be the biggest fish in a small pond, than chum.

My $.02

First and foremost, so happy we rid ourselves of JJ. It was painfully obvious for years now that he was unwilling to recruit, a vital part of any HC's responsibilities, Good Riddance!!!

I happen to agree with ED on the gist of what he said. I actually told RGT while Ford stadium was under construction that if he didn't make the necessary changes to our 'Model', he was simply building an expensive mausoleum. Verdict is still out on this one.

ES, I think it requires more than 'tweaks here and there' to fix this problem. SMU's problems are many, but a most critical one is getting fan interest when playing a non-name opponent, this is why I wholeheartedly disagree with your FCS comment. We will only draw large crowds when we are a competitive team playing worthy opponents. Unfortunately, well over half of our conference mates are not deemed worthy of seeing. We could be a Top 20 team, and if our opponent was Temple, UConn, Memphis, USF, Tulsa, etc....I seriously doubt we draw 25k unless there is a Mustang Mania type event to bring in the fans. Go to FCS and we draw flies.

Big thing I don't understand is why fire JJ now? What has fundamentally changed in the last 9 months? We lose to NTSU?, so what...most supporters I knew said to expect this. If anything, looks like recruiting upticked a little this year. So why now?, IF our administration was truly committed to SMU football, they would have fired JJ last Nov/Dec, not now. This is what troubles me.

Train is leaving the station and yet we stay with JJ this year. That tells me plenty.

[Rebel10]

Big thing I don't understand is why fire JJ now? What has fundamentally changed in the last 9 months? We lose to NTSU?, so what...most supporters I knew said to expect this. If anything, looks like recruiting upticked a little this year. So why now?, IF our administration was truly committed to SMU football, they would have fired JJ last Nov/Dec, not now. This is what troubles me.

Train is leaving the station and yet we stay with JJ this year. That tells me plenty.

He resigned. SMU did not fire him.