Football Luncheon - Summary?

by **WorldStang** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:01 pm

For those who went.. enlighten those who didn't.

Thanks..

by **that's great raplh** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:02 pm

word

pls someone

by **jtstang** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:14 pm

Okay, during the football luncheon I was sitting in my office eating a salmon and spinach salad from Beyond the Box. It was quite good, they make this killer blood-orange vinaigrette.

by **mr. pony** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:20 pm

Hey, man.

Big crowd. The players seemed pumped. Gregg went a little long but had some really good nuggets to impart. Told great stories of getting the program cranked up again in '89. Several members of that team were there. Corey Beard, for one, was singled out by Gregg. He was extemely proud of those guys and credited them for keeping Mustang football alive.

Hilarious story about trip to ND with that team. (Said the game was supposed to be dropped, but somebody forgot. Seriously, it sounded.)

After a workout at ND stadium before game day, players all wanted to go to bookstore for ND souvenirs.

Gregg said this year's team looked like football players and acted like football players. He said they should expect to win.

Also, singled out Jonathan Lindley, from his alma mater, Sulphur Springs.
Orsini, Turner and Bennett were great.

Bennett said he'd heard that Leach had had it in his contract to get more bucks the more he scored. (2004 game with the post-game fight.)

Said he would love to have the opportunity to graciously take a knee in Lubbock.

Several current players came up to meet Gregg afterward and get autographs.

by **MrMustang1965** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:21 pm

A very nice affair. Rich Phillips was the MC. Seated at the head table were SMU President R. Gerald Turner, head football coach Phil Bennett, Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky, SMU Athletic Director Steve Orsini, guest speaker and former SMU AD/head football coach/NFL Hall of Famer Forrest Gregg and his wife (they now live in Colorado Springs) and Mustang Club president & former SMU Mustang football team member Gregg Gardner.

President Turner spoke briefly about the excellent combination of academics and athletics at SMU. Next was CUSA Commish Banowsky talking about how he is proud to have SMU in the conference and how great things are in store for the Mustangs. Next was SMU AD Steve Orsini who spoke about SMU returning to Top 25 prominence in ALL sports. Next was head football coach Phil Bennett who gave a brief overview of this year's team with some mentions of specific players like Justin Rogers, Ryan Kennedy and Reynaldo Pellerin. He also named this year's team captains (see SMU web site for this info). Mustang Club president Gardner also spoke briefly about his time as a Mustang football team member in the late 1980s under Coach Gregg.

Keynote speaker Forrest Gregg had some great stories to tell about his days at SMU both as a player and as AD/head football coach. He had a story to tell about current Mustang DT Brandon Bonds who used to attend practices as a toddler to watch his brother when Gregg was coach. Another great story about SMU v Notre Dame (previously mentioned). He also spoke about being recruited out of Sulphur Springs by Sleepy Morgan, his first visit to SMU and meeting Don McIlhenny for the first time. But his emphasis was on the 1989 team that helped bring football back to The Hilltop and their legacy. He recognized several players from that team who were in attendance.

The food was much better than last year...yes, it was chicken but it was chicken cordon bleu and very well done! Also mashed potatoes and green beans, rolls and cheesecake for dessert.

Yeah, it was a 'pep rally' of sorts...and what the hell's wrong with that? GO MUSTANGS! BEAT THE HELL OUTTA TECH!

by **VarsityShop** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:43 pm

Overall a great event.
Food was decent.
Bigger crowd than last year.
Can't imagine how big it will be if we win 7-8 games.
Coach Gregg told some wonderful stories about SMU,
but he should have cut his speech a bit shorter.
I suggest having the cheerleaders attend the start of this
event and do one cheer to make the event more festive.
Maybe have the cheerleaders there when the players
are introduced. Nice seeing Matt Doherty there.

by **that's great raplh** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:35 pm

thx y'all

by **gostangs** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:51 pm

love forest but his speach was 30 minutes too long. Gotta get people outta there faster in the future.

Agree with cheerleaders or somehing to pep it up a bit more. Players looked like all business. I have seen our players pretty up close for four or five years - never have they looked this much like a real college football team. Some are just huge.

Food was average, but you dont go for the food. Overall a success.

by **ALEX LIFESON** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:44 pm

Did anyone else see Chase Smith? Mercy that guy is HUGE! It was a great event to start the season. I would have to agree with a previous post, this is the biggest, most athletic bunch we have had!

by **MrMustang1965** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:46 am

There were several TV stations present during the luncheon on Wednesday. I was unable to catch any of the afternoon or evening sports broadcasts on Wednesday. Did any of the luncheon make it on the sportscasts? Or is the media still gushing all over itself with Terrell Owens and the Dallas Plowboys?

by **mr. pony** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:54 am

Don't know about TV reports, but the DMN today had NOT A WORD about the occasion. Like it never happened. Not even a photo and small caption.

An NFL Hall of Famer speaks to a sold out ballroom to kickoff the hometown D-1A football season and NOTHING>>>>> Not worth a mention of any sort.

It is truly astounding.

But they did feature a breathtaking note that two UT qbs held a presser to announce there was no qb controversy in Austin.

I honestly believe the DMN sports higher ups have no intention of giving SMU anything that might increase its chances of taking prized recruits from Austin.

by **jtstang** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:04 am

mr. pony wrote:I honestly believe the DMN sports higher ups have no intention of giving SMU anything that might increase its chances of taking prized recruits from Austin.

There is nothing the DMN could give that would create that chance, sunshiner.

by **mr. pony** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:17 am

Yeah, right.

by **PonySnob** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:22 am

mr. pony wrote:I honestly believe the DMN sports higher ups have no intention of giving SMU anything that might increase its chances of taking prized recruits from Austin.

When was the last time SMU even had a chance of taking a prized football recruit from UT? The conspiracy theory is getting old......................

by **jtstang** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:52 am

SMU needs to forget recruiting against Texas and try to get some recruits away from NTSU and Tulsa and UTEP.

Football Luncheon - Summary?

Football Luncheon - Summary?

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