Ouch from the Daily Campus

[RyanSMU98]

I think the no re-entry thing is a stupid policy that needs to be changed immediately. Allow people to go out, get a beer, or just stretch their legs at halftime and come back (maybe even run across to the bookstore to pick up some gear for the second half if they want). They do a lot of people a real disservice with the no re-entry policy.

[ender3]

Make all games away games?

The NCAA offered us that option once.

We declined.

[NickSMU17]

Move Homecoming stuff to between 3rd and 4th quarter

[Junior]

What is beans?

glad i wasn't the only one left thinking that.

[peruna11]

Another thing that we need to start doing with the students is more education. Part of AARO/orientation needs to include a movie night where they watch Pony Exce$$. Bring in some of the football team, June, Mason, whoever, and educate the incoming freshman on our rich history and where we have come back from. Teach them the songs, chants, cheers. Educate them on Peruna - the difference between a Mustang & a castrated horse mounted by an OSU alum.

SMU, much like Dallas, is a melting pot. We have a very regionally diverse campus, so we don't have a ton of kids growing up in the area yearning to come here - learning the history over the years. Many of our students come here from FL, CA, AL, LA, etc. and have been cheering for one team or another their whole lives. Those teams were most likely not SMU until maybe they got their acceptance letter. Hell maybe even have an event where the football team challenges the incoming freshmen to bring a shirt from the team they grew up watching and have a pep-rally/ceremonial burning of them, where they are then issued an SMU shirt. Talk about baptism by fire!

Point being, once we get these kids on campus, we need to spend some of that orientation time educating those students about who we are. This (and as always winning) will help continue to build the student fan base.

[mustangxc]

Only retort I have is where are all the football players whenever we have a swim meet, soccer game, cross-country race, etc?

You're kidding, right?

I don't expect anyone to show up to the olympic sports, but based on the player's argument I am very serious. Not everyone likes football. I for one never watch on sundays. I will watch SMU, USC, Miami, Stanford, UCLA, and maybe TCU, otherwise, I don't care for football, but I really enjoy the school spirit. The football player is complaining about the student body not showing up because of school spirit. My point is you can have school spirit by going to any sporting event. The women's basketball team had a nice little run to the NCAA's and still no support. I think it is foolhardy to blame the student body for not showing up. Maybe our student body has no interest in football whatsoever and would not show up to the super bowl if you gave them free tickets. My point is you can't force anyone to like a product they just do not like no matter what you do. We need to go after football fans who spend their saturdays and/or sundays at home or in a sports bar watching football rather than going to a live game at Ford stadium. We might even try going after some of the Dallas Cowboys season ticket holders who are disenchanted with Tony Romo and the high prices at Jerryworld.

[SMUer]

What is beans?

glad i wasn't the only one left thinking that.

"Beans" is the dance where the students stomp their feet and say "Whoo!". I think it used to be called "Cadence". The point is, the band only plays it late in the game, 4th quarter.

[JasonB]

I thought about the off campus student and mentioned it during the game yesterday.

However, the fact is that there are a ton of students partying on the boulevard who don't make it to the game. So, I don't think it is a valid excuse.

This isn't going to change unless the greek leadership starts really looking down on people who don't go to the games. Once it becomes an "in" thing with the greeks, that will start the momentum and more and more people will go.

[RGV Pony]

Fellas, I cannot solve all of the problems. Dont have the time, and need to show some tough love.

But, I will give you the solution to getting fans off the Blvd and into the game.

..and here it is

[Junior]

What is beans?

glad i wasn't the only one left thinking that.

"Beans" is the dance where the students stomp their feet and say "Whoo!". I think it used to be called "Cadence". The point is, the band only plays it late in the game, 4th quarter.

Thanks, SMUer. I posted before I saw your prior response to Dutch's question.

[ponyte]

The term “lost generation” hits the nail on the head even more than some on this Board realize. I was at SMU in the post-DP era and witnessed a lot of ATROCIOUS football at Owenby and the Cotton Bowl. I attended almost every home football game (except a few Thanksgiving weekend games) while I was at SMU because I was just that stupid and a glutton for punishment. But for most of my fellow students at the time, football wasn’t even a blip on their radar. After the DP, class after class of SMU graduates left the Hilltop having NEVER attended a single football game. It simply was not part of the college experience for most SMU students, including my wife. She is a proud SMU alum. But while she was on campus she only attended the first half of one homecoming game when a sorority sister was up for homecoming queen. That was the entirety of her exposure to Mustang football.

We now face the task of reaching out to those alumni and convincing them that they should do something they never did while at SMU. . .go to football games. That, my friends, is a tough sell. I think a big reason why a lot of alumni go to football games at their alma mater is out of a sense of nostalgia. . .its a connection to their college years. For 25 years worth of SMU grads, that connection doesn’t exist.

For the older alum, they had the privilege of watching SMU football soar to the highest heights. . .and then come crashing spectacularly down. That was a tough pill to swallow. I know there are some diehards who have stuck with the Ponies. But I can’t really blame those who walked away.

I live near campus and probably 50% of the people on my block went to SMU (most after 1986). I have never seen any of them at the Boulevard or in Ford. You want good attendance. . .you have to sell that demographic. It hasn’t happened yet. But SMU is headed in the right direction. At some point, this program is going to pull off something really big. And that will get the attention of our local alums.

iGod I hate the voice of reason!

[PonyPlayer4]

I appreciate that Nelson did recognize and appreciate the fans that actually do attend the games. Even before the students left at halftime, I have seen better showings from them.

The team will get their wish this week playing at USM. Maybe it is a good thing our major games are on the road this year.

[SOMISSFBALL]

Another thing that we need to start doing with the students is more education. Part of AARO/orientation needs to include a movie night where they watch Pony Exce$$. Bring in some of the football team, June, Mason, whoever, and educate the incoming freshman on our rich history and where we have come back from. Teach them the songs, chants, cheers. Educate them on Peruna - the difference between a Mustang & a castrated horse mounted by an OSU alum.

SMU, much like Dallas, is a melting pot. We have a very regionally diverse campus, so we don't have a ton of kids growing up in the area yearning to come here - learning the history over the years. Many of our students come here from FL, CA, AL, LA, etc. and have been cheering for one team or another their whole lives. Those teams were most likely not SMU until maybe they got their acceptance letter. Hell maybe even have an event where the football team challenges the incoming freshmen to bring a shirt from the team they grew up watching and have a pep-rally/ceremonial burning of them, where they are then issued an SMU shirt. Talk about baptism by fire!

Point being, once we get these kids on campus, we need to spend some of that orientation time educating those students about who we are. This (and as always winning) will help continue to build the student fan base.

We have recently done this. We spend a day at orientation, and a 3 days at GEWW (Golden Eagle Welcome Week) dedicated to doing things like this... And in my opinion has helped tremendously.... I have definitely seen a sense of unity among the student body that has previously been divided.

[CalallenStang]

They do teach "Pony Battle Cry," "Varsity," etc. at Mustang Corral.

But they even do that wrong (or at least they did when I went through)

Here's what they said the words to the first part of "Pony Battle Cry" were:

Here's to the red and the blue
We're the Mustangs from SMU
Give a cheer, show some might
There's victory in sight
and our battle cry will be FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

It's not difficult...the words to the song are published in many places...they should be able to GET THIS RIGHT.

In short, Peruna11 - I think it's a great idea, but you have to put the right people in charge.

[peruna11]

They do teach "Pony Battle Cry," "Varsity," etc. at Mustang Corral.

But they even do that wrong (or at least they did when I went through)

It's not difficult...the words to the song are published in many places...they should be able to GET THIS RIGHT.

In short, Peruna11 - I think it's a great idea, but you have to put the right people in charge.

I distinctly remember standing in a circle in the courtyard at Corral spinning my hand in the air to "Go Red. Go Blue" thinking, "when can we just go jump in the lake again?"

I agree. You definitely have to do it right. When I was a freshman (1998), they ran us through the chants at Corral as if it were just an item on a checklist, and that was the end of it. For it to work, it needs to be done in a better setting, by people who care. Pump them up with a highlight reel & some real music.