PonyFans.com

I was traveling last night and picked up the half-time score during a flight connection. My surprise on seeing our performance was certainly discouraging. It seems we have been at this dance for a long time. Despite this disappointment, I wanted to share my thoughts for SMU Football.

First, I think Sonny is good choice. Both parties have seen disappointment. However, I sense he is committed to the program and is probably the right combination of reality and hope for us. JJ and Chad have egos that weren’t compatible with G5 status and expected some hero worship. I did love Chad’s enthusiasm for recruiting and his efforts to create excitement though.

That said, SMU administration and especially the students need to look in the mirror. With a high octane offense and winning record, most students choose not to be vested in the FB football. Being a MOB member is cool, but leaving the Boulevard, getting into Ford and staying seems too much for many of them. We need to have 25+K for every game.

This type of loss gives Sonny a free rein to begin another rebuild. That is unfortunate but that is who we are.

As for Administration, hiring a proven coach is not the end of their responsibilities. Our recent progress is helpful, but long term we need to change how we commit to the program. From the quality and experience of all the assistants to breaking ground on the IPF to focusing on attendance (most notably students), SMU needs to project we are a big time program, which is a perennial leader in the G5/P6. We will get national media attention, if we have the swagger of an historic program.

Thanks Seniors for your dedicated during your playing time. We love you and welcome everyone of you to the ranks of dedicated alums. To next year’s team and beyond, the future is yours to define and create. To SMU students, you bear more responsibility than you have understood to date. To SMU Administration, we are either all in or not.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year. May 2018 be a year of real progress, where we chart the right course and build a sustaining foundation for the future.

Pony Up!

Well said.

It is the unfortunate reality that we have hit the reset button too many times. I get that it is hard to get out of the abyss from the death penalty, but it has been 30 years now. At some point, we have to make a decision of putting good money after bad. We either do what we need to do get this program into a P5 program, or we eliminate it and focus on basketball as the primary revenue driver.

The ultimate blame for this in my opinion is on Turner. I have said it many times he needs to go; he has been here far too long. No other top university that I can think of has had a President with this long of a tenure. We need new perspectives, fresh ideas. And I'm not referring to just the state of our football program, but academically we are not where we should be. Turner gets paid a top 3 salary out of all universities in the US. How is that freaking possible with where we are academically and in sports?? I'm tired of this old boy network mentality that we have at our school and assign objectives at the highest levels.

Back to football, the whole fiasco with JJ, and then the plans and no-plans with the IPF, the ineptness shocks me.

I was also watching this game on a flight back to NY last night and turned it off after into the second quarter. At some point it's just embarrassing to be associated with SMU football, and it's sad to even think it let alone say it.