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Analysis: Jones’ Hawaii Bowl Jones
SMU’s June Junes Ready To Dis’ Liberty Bowl If Mustangs Win Out
By Rick Atkinson for cusa-fans.com
http://www.cusa-fans.com/

DALLAS - There’s certainly no quarterback controversy at SMU after true freshman Kyle Padron led the Mustangs to a third straight win and bowl eligibility on Saturday.

But a bowl brouhaha might be taking shape.

After SMU’s 35-31 thriller over UTEP and Houston’s loss left the Mustangs alone atop the West, June Jones said in a post-game radio interview on The Ticket 1310 AM/104.1 FM that he preferred the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl should SMU win Conference-USA.

The Liberty Bowl in Memphis is the traditional destination for C-USA champions and the league’s top money bowl - by a long shot - at an estimated $1.7 million.

Jones’ comments, courtesy of The Ticket: “Hopefully, the conference will make a decision that’s best in everybody’s interest: if we go to Hawaii and more people from East Carolina or somebody go to the Liberty Bowl. Hopefully, that will happen.”

Jones doubled-down on Monday: “The conference is going to dictate what [bowl we go to], but obviously, I’ve told the guys we’re going to Hawaii so that’s where I want to go.”

“These guys have never been to Hawaii,” Jones said. “Plus, I think it would be way better PR for the school.”

Two things: first, this is like a coach in the old Southwest Conference saying thanks but no thanks to the Cotton Bowl in favor of the Sun Bowl because he really likes El Paso and the team’s never been there.

Ever heard of any coach from any conference passing on its league’s top bowl? … Me neither.

Second, why did Jones continue to tell the team they were going to Hawaii as they sat atop the West for the entire season?

Here’s why: Jones never thought SMU would be where it is now - in position to screw up A Dickens Hawaiian Christmas. And instead of updating the goal to fit the team’s dramatic success, Jones is sticking to the script.

And Jones, a spiritual man, may also see Hawaii as the Mustangs’ Divine destination this year. His heart is simply set on it.

“Even though I love [Executive Director] Steve Ehrhart and the Liberty Bowl,” Jones said, “… they do a great job with that bowl game too, I know ESPN will play up me going back to Hawaii pretty large.”

Ehrhart’s reaction? (laughed) “I’ve always had a lot of respect for June. We’ve known each other for 25 years. I understand that there’s a unique situation there with June’s personal experience in Hawaii. But we have not talked yet. I’m sure I’ll be talking to him in the next few days.”

Ehrhart said no other C-USA coach had ever skipped out on the Liberty Bowl.

Is Ehrhart OK with it? “I don’t want to say that,” he laughed. “I’m not saying that. … Don’t put those words in my mouth.”

Won’t it hurt the Liberty Bowl if SMU went to Hawaii as C-USA champs? “I don’t want to start hypothetically saying things like that,” he said.

C-USA Reaction

Associate C-USA Commissioner Alfred White said the Liberty Bowl would have to make the call.

“It would depend on whether or not the Liberty Bowl would entertain it,” he said, “because we have an agreement with the Liberty Bowl that calls for the Liberty Bowl to have the first selection of bowl- eligible teams.”

White laughed when told Jones had already suggested East Carolina as SMU’s replacement. “He did, huh?”

White said he could not foresee what effect losing a C-USA champ would have on the Liberty Bowl.

Jones says SMU versus a WAC team in Hawaii instead of an SEC team in the Liberty will draw television ratings second only to the national championship game, “just like they were when I was there.”

Not sure where Jones gets his numbers but according to the BCS Web site http://www.bcsfootball.org/bcsfb/tvratings, going back through the 2002 season, the Hawaii Bowl had never been No. 2 behind the national championship in viewership.

In fact, the Hawaii Bowl has played second fiddle to the Liberty Bowl in all but two of the last seven years: once, last year, when they hosted Notre Dame, (big surprise), and, second, in 2002, when the SEC had no bowl eligible team for the Liberty Bowl.

It’s one thing to have Hawaii as a goal back in August for a team coming off back-to-back 1-11 seasons. But to be in alone in first place in the West with two games left and still push for a lesser bowl? That’s stubborn to a fault and I’m not sure it’s best for SMU.

Of course, Jones’ affinity for Hawaii, where he coached from 1999-2007, has been front and center since he arrived at SMU in January of ’08. He’s probably the only $10 million coaching hire to say at his introductory press conference that his heart will always be at this previous place of employment.

(Thought that was odd then and I still do.)

What About The Fans?

When asked on Monday about SMU fans traveling better to Memphis, Jones said only, “The PR for recruiting is way better on ESPN.” (Translation: fans schmans.)

Some say give Jones whatever he wants. After all, he’s why the team’s where it’s at. I say Jones is already well-compensated by SMU and SMU should do what’s best for the school, its fans and supporters.

Should SMU give up a $1.7 million-bowl against an Arkansas or an Auburn for a $700-G contest in the Pacific Ocean against Nevada - because Jones predicts huge television ratings?

I don’t think so.

Media attention for SMU’s first bowl in 25 years will be huge wherever it’s played, especially as a conference champion. So why should the Liberty Bowl agree to miss out on that?

And if you think Hawaii fans will welcome SMU with open arms and much aloha, think again. Picture a guy taking his new bride for a nice week-long stay with his recent ex’s family.

And what of Hawaii boosters trying to convince Jones that a quick return to the islands is his fate as the waves roll onto Waikiki, mai-tais are clinked and sweet plumeria fills the air? (If I’m SMU AD Steve Orsini, I stick to Jones like a Siamese twin out there.)

SMU (6-4, 5-1) travels to Marshall (5-5, 3-3) this week then wraps the season at home on November 12 against Tulane (3-7, 1-5). Win both games and the Mustangs could host the conference championship on December 5. Drop one and this discussion is likely moot.

But if SMU wins C-USA, the players deserve the biggest stage the league provides. And that’s in Memphis on January 2, 2010, against an SEC opponent in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Go Mustangs!

Believe me the Liberty Bowl will be dancing in the streets if SMU' and its 15,000 fans are not invited to the Liberty Bowl-plus now they don't have to be the bad guys by shafting us. In fact, if we do go to the Liberty Bowl we now will be about as popular as SMU in El Paso for the 1983 PR fiasco where we claimed we were too good for El Paso and ended up getting trounced by Alabama

1) agree with Stallion

2) I thought we already established that 1.7 versus 700k is a moot point, since the conference covers travel costs, puts the net bowl winnings into the same pot, then distributes

I'm booking my flight this week

Good time for my first post, I registered back in 2003 and have spent the last 6 years lurking but after being a life long SMU fan and supporter I cannot believe what I am reading.

We are seriously considering not playing in the Championship Bowl (The LIberty Bowl) if we somehow are able to win the conference championship?

Totally unacceptable and really bad form by Jones and SMU (if they let him get away with it)...We are a member of C-USA and we shouldn't act like would be bothered if we had to play in their designated championship bowl.

For you old timers, this would be akin to declining the Cotton Bowl so we could go over to Shreveport and play in the Poulan Weedeater Bowl.

We should not be insulting C-USA by causing waves like this. If we lose one of these next two, or the championship game, by all means, lets go to Hawaii...but if we win C-USA it is determined where we should go and we should honor that.

Nice work on the article. Here is the full article on the site - SMU’s June Junes Ready to Dis Liberty Bowl If Mustangs Win Out

Interesting point:

dallascowboy wrote:Bowl games are rewards for the players not the fans. If I were still playing....hmmm..let me think, Hawaii or Memphis......seems like a simple answer to me.

Ha! June can really create controversy can't he-but I want it clear I'm on the sideline on this one. But I will say I hate Bowl tie-ins-and would just as soon leave it up to the players who earned it.

shadowman wrote:We should not be insulting C-USA by causing waves like this. If we lose one of these next two, or the championship game, by all means, lets go to Hawaii...but if we win C-USA it is determined where we should go and we should honor that.

hehe... you said causing waves.

I have been to the Liberty Bowl is sucks.





I’m going to Hawaii

SMU 86 wrote:Interesting point:

dallascowboy wrote:Bowl games are rewards for the players not the fans. If I were still playing....hmmm..let me think, Hawaii or Memphis......seems like a simple answer to me.

yeah, is that why UT went to San Diego all those times?

God the Liberty Bowl is always played in bad weather-whereas Hawaii is delightful

Stallion wrote:Ha! June can really create controversy can't he-but I want it clear I'm on the sideline on this one. But I will say I hate Bowl tie-ins-and would just as soon leave it up to the players who earned it.

1. I agree it should be up to the players who earned it (sorry to all of you who suffered the last 25 years, but these kids deserve a week in Hawai'i)
2. Barbri doesn't start until the 28th, so if the invitation is still open we can split that room

[quote="expony18] ... these kids deserve a week in Hawai'i [quote]

So fly 'em out to Hawaii for a week - after the Liberty Bowl. (check with the NCAA first.)

I don't remember offering but I will see if we can find a Hawaiian Country Bar where we can hit on Country Chicks

I vote for whichever bowl game the players want to play in. That being said, I must admit that I don't relish a Liberty Bowl matchup against Auburn or Arkansas. We are definitely improving, but were not there yet. I would hate to the SMU rebirth story end in a bowl game slapdown by an SEC team where our half of the stadium is empty.