what will it take to win

[cguru]

obviously the program hasn't been as successful since the death penalty that you had hoped. but for a program to be successful it takes people in the stands and money to the department. and even a blind man can see that neither of those is happening. so instead of complaining about everything, why don't you just go to the game and support the team and have fun being on campus. at least the recruits coming in can see that there is a fan base on the hilltop.

and don't give me that crap about how you've put up with losing for so many years. if you're not a part of the solution then you're a part of the problem.

discuss...

[EastStang]

Most of the posters on this board go to every home game and many away games. They are members of the Mustang Club and give their money to the University. Most have graduated from SMU. Most have watched with horror what has happened for the past 20 years. Until change occurs, the status quo reigns. And the status quo in this case, sux.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

thats another thing......

in my opinion for smu to have a sold out stadium and a Top 25 type team.... Dallas and the surrounding communities will have to be convinced to "adopt" smu as their local college team. most notre dame fans are not ND alumni. somehow smu must convince a few thousand non-alumni residents of Dallas that enjoy college football to attend games....buy season tickets.....and enjoy the sights and sounds of the blvd. if we get a big name coach and start winning we can fill the stadium with students, alums, and lastly with non-alums that enjoy a good exciting college game. i find some alums kind of look down on non-alums, but for christs sake we need to welcome and make non-alums feel very welcome because we need them for smu to be a successful program. an adoptive father can be just as good as the real thing! in fact some of the non-alum smu fans i know are more supportive of smu football than most smu alums that do not even show up at games. we need dallas to adopt smu!

[Charleston Pony]

I agree wholeheartedly that for SMU to dig out from under this mess, there has to be an increase in the number of butts in seats at both Ford and Moody. That was part of the equation in the 80's under Russ Potts' leadership. Have to generate a product worth watching, because right now we have problems giving tickets away.

It may upset those who are buying season tickets or supporting the program by purchasing tickets at full price, but right now we need to be promoting $1 seats or something ridiculous like that just to fill the seats for some of our upcoming games. I doubt the team (or any prospective recruits who may be watching) are going to care that people aren't paying full price...as long as there is some life in the stands

[Pony Soup]

THe chicken or the egg, people? WHO wants to pay to see that nonsense like at the UTEP game? No one. Win first and people will come. Do you think we spend money to drill oil wells AFTER we sell the oil?

And while I hate everything about it, I do pay and I do go. But I dont expect others to do the same. Invest in the program and people will come.

[PonyKai]

THe chicken or the egg, people? WHO wants to pay to see that nonsense like at the UTEP game? No one. Win first and people will come. Do you think we spend money to drill oil wells AFTER we sell the oil?

And while I hate everything about it, I do pay and I do go. But I dont expect others to do the same. Invest in the program and people will come.

Nonsense? That was an exciting game. Over 90 points, overtime, and a ton of offense. Like any average football fan doesn't want to see that. The game sucked and it should honestly have never turned out like it did, but a 48-45 OT come from behind victory in football is damned exciting, and is the type of game that will sell tickets to impartial football fans.

[LonghornFan68]

lots and lots of roids.

[Samurai Stang]

The construction of a controversial shrine at which we honor our dead.

[Ponymon]

I agree wholeheartedly that for SMU to dig out from under this mess, there has to be an increase in the number of butts in seats at both Ford and Moody. That was part of the equation in the 80's under Russ Potts' leadership. Have to generate a product worth watching, because right now we have problems giving tickets away.

It may upset those who are buying season tickets or supporting the program by purchasing tickets at full price, but right now we need to be promoting $1 seats or something ridiculous like that just to fill the seats for some of our upcoming games. I doubt the team (or any prospective recruits who may be watching) are going to care that people aren't paying full price...as long as there is some life in the stands

Russ Potts had the right marketing formula and a team that could produce. Unfortunately, this team can't produce so even giving the tickets away won't work. Obviously, a coaching change and a drastic change in the University's attitude are needed for that to happen!

[OC Mustang]

THe chicken or the egg, people? WHO wants to pay to see that nonsense like at the UTEP game? No one. Win first and people will come. Do you think we spend money to drill oil wells AFTER we sell the oil?

And while I hate everything about it, I do pay and I do go. But I dont expect others to do the same. Invest in the program and people will come.

Actually, yes. We do spend money to drill oil wells AFTER we sell the oil. Is called a forward contract. The difference is that "we", (i.e. seller) also create a hedge on the market to cover downside.

I am not an athletics guy; therefore, I do not know how to translate the analogy to SMU. But your rhetorical question needed to be answered.
Get a new handle.

[2112]

from the very insane pony posse thats another thing......

in my opinion for smu to have a sold out stadium and a Top 25 type team.... Dallas and the surrounding communities will have to be convinced to "adopt" smu as their local college team. most notre dame fans are not ND alumni. somehow smu must convince a few thousand non-alumni residents of Dallas that enjoy college football to attend games....buy season tickets.....and enjoy the sights and sounds of the blvd. if we get a big name coach and start winning we can fill the stadium with students, alums, and lastly with non-alums that enjoy a good exciting college game. i find some alums kind of look down on non-alums, but for christs sake we need to welcome and make non-alums feel very welcome because we need them for smu to be a successful program. an adoptive father can be just as good as the real thing! in fact some of the non-alum smu fans i know are more supportive of smu football than most smu alums that do not even show up at games. we need dallas to adopt smu!


i usually want to tell you to back away from the bong, but you are right on with this one insane pony posse. good post!

[Stallion]

its not the Chicken or the Egg?

its building your Competitive Model before hiring your Coach?

...and 90% of you have gotten this wrong from Day 1. You are so worried about firing Phil Bennett and all his predecessors that you failed to take the first step in building the very foundation of the program. We've seen how well this works out-smooth sailing ahead.

[Pony Soup]

OC - good answer. I always sell unproven resources from new fields before I drill...do you want to buy a lottery ticket for a few million bucks?

Once SMU can prove they have something, then sure, they can sell tickets and get returns. But until the spend the money, get the coaches, recruit the players, and deliver a product that warrants skipping any number of better games on TV that day, people wont come.

Oh....another thing. Maybe PB should have been out there trying to draw support from the community like MD does for basketball. No cares because SMU appears to have not cared much either..

[QuikSStang]

Oh....another thing. Maybe PB should have been out there trying to draw support from the community like MD does for basketball. No cares because SMU appears to have not cared much either..

very true. hell, most the student body would never know who he is if walking down the boulevard

[abezontar]

its not the Chicken or the Egg?

its building your Competitive Model before hiring your Coach?

...and 90% of you have gotten this wrong from Day 1. You are so worried about firing Phil Bennett and all his predecessors that you failed to take the first step in building the very foundation of the program. We've seen how well this works out-smooth sailing ahead.

While fixing the model may be the ultimate solution you have failed repeatedly to articulate how the average fan can change the model. Until you are willing to share with us what you have been doing, and what we can do to fix the model I don't really see how shouting about the model on a message board is any different than shouting about firing the coach on a message board.

If anything trying to get the coach fired may have an impact on the model. It appears as though every time that a coach has been fired and a new coach hired the restrictions that have been placed on the program have been relaxed some. Bennett had it better than Cavan, who had it better than Rossley who had it better than Gregg, at least that is what you have told us.