Dickerson ripping SMU on The Fan pretty bad this morning :(

[Mustangs_Maroons]

I actually like RGT and think he has done a lot of good for SMU, but I think his time here on the hilltop is also up. He will be here almost 20 years, which I think is unprecedented, and while he has done a good job on helping to build up our class profile, has he really done something above and beyond some other schools? I mean, while yes, our SAT scores are the second highest in the state, we are still ranked #58, and we haven't moved up from that to crack the top 50.

He clearly has not had a history for caring about college athletics, making decisions too little too late, and always reactively, and never proactively. He has done a good job raising money, but our endownment is still equal to tcu, which is unacceptable because we used to be higher, and we are so far behind Rice it's not even funny.

So, if we're not showing true progress academically to get us into the top 50 (and not outside) the academic rankings, and our local operational peers like baylor and tcu clearly have understood how to play in the new world of college sports, is he really the right man to be leading us now, almost 20 years into his tenure?

Thank you RGT for all you have done, but I truly feel like we need a provost from a top 25-30 university (with D1 sports) who would love to become the president of a university like ours with so much potential still untapped.

[peruna81]

I've kind of wondered about RGT as well, and the pleased but sufficiently distant attitude towards athletics and the limited success in the past 5 years. Seems there has to a priority in the college president's handbook that either hitches the wagon to sports (think Ohio State's prez, or OU's from the "university our football team is proud of" days), or the singular focus on academic/funding endowment. The two are not mutually exclusive, as most here I think would agree.

Donald Shields, weird as it seemed, would show up in the locker room in a suit with a vest after games...and be all but ignored. But the message (no doubt lost at the moment) was clear to others that there was a commitment from the top down to at least acknowledge and support all aspects related to the University. Wonder if that is still visible, and visible in more than the photo-op manner.

As far as Dickerson, I can understand his frustration, and the feeling of disgust with SMU. He invested himself here as a player, and was integral in getting JJ to even take a look at SMU. It has ended badly, and his reputation is as much on the line as Jones'. Whatever else you may feel of his comments this morning, he is spot-on about the fact that we need to act/win/support the football program LIKE a P5 if we ever aspire to get there...otherwise, save the sadness and expense, and shut it down NOW

[Rayburn]

It isn't very popular to say this in SMU circles but I was never much a fan of the narcissistic Eric Dickerson. He came to SMU because we bought his [deleted]. I can't forget that he called the OU coaches sometime after he got here looking to transfer out to Norman and that -- if one of them had been in the office to take his call -- he would have been a Sooner (which is a lowlife of another kind).

Eric can pizz up a rope, so long as somebody provides him with a map to his ying yang.

[Rebel10]

I think he got hurt and was buried on the bench his freshman year or something like that. Being an 18 year old kid at the time I can understand him doing that. Kids transfer all the time like Garrett Gilbert, Markus Kennedy and Nic Moore did.

[smustatesman]

It's fair to say, " Aw Di_k don't be such a di_k".

[Rayburn]

I think he got hurt and was buried on the bench his freshman year or something like that. Being an 18 year old kid at the time I can understand him doing that. Kids transfer all the time like Garrett Gilbert, Markus Kennedy and Nic Moore did.

Yeah, I know what you're saying, but Dickerson really wanted to go to OU from the start and let his head get turned by all the bigger money flashed at him by A&M etc. The nature of Dickerson's flirtations with the Sooners was similar to those of a married man calling up an old flame.

[Smerkins]

Take this with a grain of salt, but I've heard from several people this is RGT's last year.

[Rebel10]

Take this with a grain of salt, but I've heard from several people this is RGT's last year.

I hope this is correct.

[Planter's Punch]

June got the help he needed. Admission standards set to NCAA minimum, check. JUCO and transfers accepted, check. Athletic friendly majors added, check. When they asked him about what other than admission standards (which SMU changed) where holding back June, He talked about SMU not connecting to the local HS players. That is squarely on the HC. Inability to connect to local HS players, that is solely on June. Local coaches were calling out SMU for not going to their schools. Fan passion and attendance will take winning to reverse.

Look at BB. LB has covered DFW, and the BB players seem welcome. Even in the face of hack job reporters we get athletes into school. Mudiay was already admitted before he left. Lack of attendance, as we saw with BB winning changes everything.

SMU has a great upside and the proper pieces are in place to succeed. Dickerson, did make a good challenge SMU should either step up or quit FB. A slide back is unacceptable.

Or maybe he just thought SMU admin was hindering boosters from throwing around cash like the good old days, given his comment about how every other team is cheating.

[ponyte]

Dickerson has as much right to rip the fans as fans have to rip JJ, RGT, the university's commitment and on and on. Folks seem pretty smug ripping JJ for years now on this very board but seem a bit sensitive when others call them out. Dickerson isn't the only former player disgusted with some fans' attitude towards the football program lately.

He is right. The fan support has been terrible. Not just for JJ but for SMU in general. The one exception was last year's MBB team.

Jones set a model to compete that has completely changed. He no longer goes for a BSC bowl but now must somehow find a way into the P5. What his plan and strategy were in the beginning are now obsolete. Its time for a change. Eric should also take into consideration that the model Jones had in place wasn't going to succeed now that the rules have changed. Jones never articulated his plan for the new environment other than to have a separate season for the non P5. Fans want a plan, not vague ideas.

I agree with Eric in his rant. JJ didn't get it done but neither have the fans, school or school leaders. Progress has been made in areas but not enough. And we have learned that the DP requires a Hades of an effort by all to recover. We just haven't committed that effort as a total institution.

One last thing that is the 800 pound gorilla that everyone ignores is SMU is the only school to have to come back from the death penalty. There is no model for recovery. We are inventing it right now and have been (very unsuccessful)for the last 25 years. Mistakes are made, have been made, and will be made. That's the reason the NCAA will never hand it out cause everyone knows how hard it is to return from such a severe penalty.

Now is the time to reach out to Eric more than ever. He has more star power and PR capability than all of us put together and we need that now. We need a positive face for the program and Eric supporting SMU is better than when he wasn't visible.

Former players, including the one's once ignored, are returning. But we need more than that. We need the entire SMU community to commit to a competitive program in the new environment. And that includes fan support and donations. In the end, we can't pick the coaches or players but can support the program with our enthusiasm and money.

[mrydel]

Getting a little more snippity as a cajun.

[Water Pony]

ponyte is right to call us out. We have a role in this program and our efforts need to be constructive and add to the experience. Recruits and causal fans need us to model that SMU is the school for Texas, Dallas and them.

[Arkpony]

Well, I still like Dickerson and have always found him friendly and supportive of SMU.

[Rebel10]

ponyte is right to call us out. We have a role in this program and our efforts need to be constructive and add to the experience. Recruits and causal fans need us to model that SMU is the school for Texas, Dallas and them.

One thing Dickerson said was that SMU does not market Dallas enough. We have got to reach the t-shirt fan whether some want to or not. So calling out fans that already go to games is one thing but giving a plan to reach the people that do not is more constructive imo.

[RebStang]

ponyte is right to call us out. We have a role in this program and our efforts need to be constructive and add to the experience. Recruits and causal fans need us to model that SMU is the school for Texas, Dallas and them.

One thing Dickerson said was that SMU does not market Dallas enough. We have got to reach the t-shirt fan whether some want to or not. So calling out fans that already go to games is one thing but giving a plan to reach the people that do not is more constructive imo.

The thing is, winning is how you do that.

Look around the country. You just aren't going to find many small, private universities in an urban setting that have a strong "walk on" fanbase from the local community.

Rice doesn't. Northwestern doesn't. Vanderbilt doesn't. Even Miami struggles to actually consistently put butts in the seats. TCU does but, let's be realistic - they didn't until they started winning and, if they stop winning for a few years, their stadium will be empty every week.

A small school like SMU attracts the casual fan by winning. All the "outreach" in the world isn't going to get Joe from Mesquite to come out for an SMU game when we're only marginally competitive against weak teams and get blown out by anyone with a pulse.