Decide today - concerning SMU Football, are you a Pony Fan or an NFL fan?

[Cheesesteak]

A football fan can certainly enjoy both the college and NFL games, but not with the same measuring stick.

The level of pathetic "abandon ship" type comments has reached absurd levels on this board.

Yes, SMU Football is winless after the close but disappointing loss to UTEP. Yes, with less mistakes the Mustangs might have two or three wins in their first five games. On the flip side if the Baylor, Nevada or UTEP squads made less mistakes SMU might be 0-5 anyway.

SMU has played five games:

Texas Tech is 4-1 with quality wins against Mississippi and Texas A&M.

Baylor is 3-2 with a quality win against Colorado.

Oklahoma State is 3-1. Their only loss was by 10 points at undefeated Nebraska.

Nevada is 3-2. Their losses were by 8 points at ranked Oregon and by 4 points against 4-1 UNLV.

UTEP is 2-4.

Like it or not, college football teams rebuild by attracting, developing, retaining and motivating student-athletes.

Coach Bennett and his staff did not inherit a stockpile of ready-to-use talent that only needed to be better organized and motivated. He can't trade (NFL) or cut players (NFL). He can't ignore a player's moral character (NFL) or academic progress (non-issue in the NFL) just because they might be a playmaker. He can't say "men you are professionals, paid to win and perform according to expectations of your contract/coaches/audience or you are expendable". Some of his "men" blocking and tackling are 19 years old.

Coach Bennett (former Defensive Coordinator at annually ranked Kansas State)(KSU is the best rags to riches story in college football's last 20 years) was probably hired because he was the best credible coach available to SMU. He has obvious talent as a recruiter and strong connections throughout the Texas High Schools and college coaching staffs. He accepted the difficult task of rebuilding SMU Football under the NCAA's and SMU's (added) rules and regulations.

The NFL is a sub-category of the larger entertainment business. NFL players (collectively on their respective teams) are paid entertainers not much different than circus performers or singers or actors. Either they perform up to their management's/audience's - reasonable/unreasonable expectations or they are released.

SMU has a growing reputation in the academic world with lots of emerging programs that will bring additional prestige to the university. President Turner and Mr. Copeland understand that SMU is much, much more than the football team's win-loss record (unlike an NFL team that is nothing more than its entertainment (revenue) value and possible unifying value within a community).

I don't personally know either man but I believe that they really want to win.

Because of past activities, SMU sits on the knife's edge and can't risk cutting corners to rebuild. SMU football (players and fans) has suffered through very tough times since the DP and we experienced morale-bruising false starts in rebuilding.

Currently, SMU is in the second year of another rebuilding effort. Superior facilities are in place. The campus and curriculum are selling points and Dallas offers much more beyond the classroom.

Recruiting, persistence and patience are the football program's path to success.

Applying NFL (fire the coach(s), critize/insult the player(s)) mentality to SMU football is cheap and absolutely isn't fair less than two years into the staff's tenure.

SMU players competed for four quarters in each game, even when outmatched. Coaching mistakes aside, that impressive level of heart and hopefully an influx of improved talent each August will eventually satisfy everyone's desire for victories.

I am a Mustang fan...win or lose.

[Swamp Gas]

There you go, Cheesesteak! That might be the single-best post I've ever read about SMU and its future. Nice mix of optimism and reality.

I'm with you all the way, Steak. I'll always support my Mustangs.

[KnuckleStang]

Excellent post, Cheese (may I call you Cheese?). Hit it right on the head. We all want to win. Fair weather fans should find something else to do for a couple of years. And I hate pro football, for all the reasons you mentioned, and others.

[Hoop Fan]

I agree. I'll never give up. Ever. PonySnobs posts are ridiculous and really amount to flames. Probably a Frog Fan with a passing interest in SMU, some type of love-hate thing.

[Roach]

Ditto - if the negative guys feel better about themselves by belittling the guys who bust their tails for our school, that's a shame - for them. You'll never see me give up on these guys, or leave a game early.
I'm a PonyFan for life!

[KnuckleStang]

Just putting Cheese's post back up top where it belongs.

[FloridaMustang]

I am also a Mustang fan win or lose.

But you're diluting yourself by telling me these kids are recieving good coaching. You're telling me that we're improving? Where do draw the line and stop being "patient" and start demanding results?

I've said it time and time again. I SEE IMROVEMENT, and then it disappears. Spotty play from different groups, and that's because of coaching. Players don't choose to have an off day. These players play their butts off, but they are simply NOT being prepared week in and week out. All I want to know is.. WHY?

[Fresh]

The improvement at practice between the beginning of the year and now is like night and day. The players aren't coaching themselves, so the coaches must be teaching them. Remember, many of the people on this board have seen the Ponies twice this year (if that) - and once was against OSU, which almost doesn't count. If you saw them on a regular basis, you'd realize how much the team has improved since the beginning of the season. I have to believe it will show on the field soon.

[PonySnob]

I've seen them play in 4 of the 5 games and I was glad to see our offense finally open up some last night.

[Cheesesteak]

Patience everyone.

Years of frustration with SMU's football program should not be viewed as an unbroken chain.

Each new head coach, post-DP and pre-Phil Bennett, installed his own coaching and recruiting philosophies and strategies.
They are all in SMU's rearview mirror.

Coach Bennett is leading the present day struggle to move SMU out of the quagmire. He seems to be able to get the team to play hard and not collapse when setbacks occur.

Think of Coach Bennett as being responsible for a season and a half of Mustang Football, not the frustrations of the past decade and a half.

So far, there seems to be positive momentum within the program.

Not many wins yet, but a quality football team under construction.