SWC lead by SMU #1

[couch 'em]

On SI's 10 worst NCAA scandals of the past 20 years.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/w ... index.html

[jtstang]

Well, at least we're number 1 in something. but of course we're tied with the rest of our former conference mates-damn.

[Stallion]

the real reason the SWC leads is a) the incredible competition between the old Dallas Times Herald and Dallas Morning News which broke 80% of those scandals-including multiple scandals at SMU, TCU, A&M, UT, Tech, OSU, OU, UH, and Baylor all within about an 8 year period. b) the largest number of Division 1A schools in one state(with 8 schools in the same conference) competing for the nation's richest recruiting source-everybody knew everything the other schools were doing and c) the lack of any real loyalty by the state's media outlets to the universities in Texas. The same cheating happens every where else but papers in places like Little Rock, Birmingham, Knoxville aren't going to break it off into those schools because they could face economic diaster. Those precise factors do not come into play in any other region in the country like they did in the SWC. The only two schools which escaped the wrath of the Dallas papers was Arkansas and Rice. I hope to god considering how bad they have been over the years that Rice doesn't cheat. As for Arkansas they were just lucky to be sitting up in the Hills hundreds of miles away from Dallas. Later, it came out in the divorce of an Arkansas' big whig-I want to say Herrod-that Arkansas had been cheating for years especially in hiring athletes in Dallas for work they didn't do. This alumnus was Frank Broyles close buddy. So they ALL cheated except I guess for Rice who simply SUCKED.

[mrydel]

In my conversations with Rice players in my time (68-72), the payments to players went deeper down the depth chart than at SMU or most anywhere else. They were not paying big bucks for big time stars, but they were paying supposedly 3 deep some money as a stipend for cost of living. I was told that boosters were assigned certain players to pay on a continuing basis. Again, not huge dollars, but great depth. I was so jealous.

[Arkpony]

I personally know Arkansas athletes who confided in me that they were compensated for signing with Arkansas and received beneifts the whole thime they were on scholorship in Fayetteville (Never having to pay for all the clothes they bought in town ,etc).

Stallion is right on with his observations. It would be the kiss of death for the Arkansas paper to evoke the wrath of Frank Broyles. Thus all the Homers we have here.

[mrydel]

One of my HS teammates was on scholy at Arkansas. He was paid all the way through but never got to play due to grades. They kind of just kept him hidden off campus.

[EastStang]

And of course UT cheated worse than anyone else (anyone read Meat on the Hoof). Yet because they were so wired with the NCAA, they were like the criminal who rats out his buddies. They'd get ignored while everyone else got whacked. That is not to say that we didn't deserve what we got, but it doesn't make us feel warm and fuzzy to see these other schools acting like we were worse when they were doing at least what we were doing and usually more. Just once I'd love to see UT get sanctioned. Unfortunately, Mac Brown reputedly runs a very clean program so it probably won't happen for a while.

[SoCal_Pony]

In my conversations with Rice players in my time (68-72), the payments to players went deeper down the depth chart than at SMU or most anywhere else. They were not paying big bucks for big time stars, but they were paying supposedly 3 deep some money as a stipend for cost of living. I was told that boosters were assigned certain players to pay on a continuing basis. Again, not huge dollars, but great depth. I was so jealous.

A close family friend of ours who also played football at Rice told me personally that he felt sorry for what was happening at SMU and that while he played at Rice, he was ‘taken care of’ financially.

[PonySnob]

At this point, does what happened back in the early/mid 80's really matter? It has been 17 years since the DP was handed down and SMU has been fielding a team for the past 15 seasons now. Unfortunately, the previous administration was so anti-football, it has taken almost that long for our program to recover. Clearly SMU was the most flagrant with regards to cheating and probably the most arrogant about it. I seem to remember TCU getting hit pretty hard back in the 80's, but somehow they seemed to have gotten over it and are only concerned with having their football program perform at the highest level it can. We as SMU fans should demand the same. If you want to thank somebody for our demise, stop by Bill Clements house over in HP and let him know how you feel.

[MustangStealth]

I saw the Dale Hanson story from way back that eventually got us the DP. In the interviews one of the players says that when he visited UT or A&M (I can't remember) as a recruit they gave him drugs. Then when he came here we got in trouble for paying for him to be in rehab (among other things of course). Another coach threatened to beat up his dad if he didn't go there. Doesn't quite seem right that we were the only ones who got it. Maybe they should have given the DP to the whole conference.