PonyFans.com

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... oundon.DTL

from sf?

Nice article.

This was interesting: "But Jones knows he's on to something good, which is why he resisted the temptation to jump to an automatic-qualifying program this offseason and continued to build the tradition he's started at SMU."

I wish that we could get this kind of support out of the DFW media! Anything negative about SMU gets hi-lighted, but anythig positive gets minimal coverage if any at all. This may be why we can get great kids from CA but cannot get in to see so many DFW area kids.

Beanman wrote:I wish that we could get this kind of support out of the DFW media! Anything negative about SMU gets hi-lighted, but anythig positive gets minimal coverage if any at all. This may be why we can get great kids from CA but cannot get in to see so many DFW area kids.

that is changing, but slowly. let's face it, you can see from attendance at our games there is far less interest in Dallas in SMU than there is for the big state schools. SMU's challenge remains what it has been for many, many years...yes, even in the days of the Pone Express, we still relied on Texas, Arkansas and A&M to pack the house. Unless/until that changes, get used to playing second fiddle

"get used to playing second fiddle"

I totally understand that. In the late 60's SMU was an also ran. But both Dallas news papers had write-ups on SMU's stuff (like it mattered). That is often now not the case. I'm not demanding 1st chair, just recognition as being a part of the band. Our school is in the Metroplex and doing some exciting things, WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE COVERAGE.

lets not forget - we are the smallest div 1 school with any relevance at all - although wake forest is close ( a bit bigger then us in undergrad). We will fight that battle for a long time folks -

Great story.

After going to two consecutive bowl games, playing 10 games on national television the past two years after playing none for several seasons before Jones arrived.

In 2006 2 years before Jones arrived we played UAB at Ford on ESPN2 on Halloween and in 2007 we played Texas Tech at Ford on ESPN on Labor Day.

That was not an original SFC news story...

Thats why we need the press as its picked by all different sources and wire services and search engines out there and may be inserted in sports publications all over the country as filler....

The recruiting will just continue to improve during JJs next several years. Even the local press will be forced to be more positive about Winning and recruiting at SMU....But if SMU doesn't get more "butts in the seats" the local press will continue to be more negative over that issue. I have recommended that SMU hire a new "Marketing Director with a vision for the future" like Coach Jones has here. We will continue to improve regardless, but we really need to start selling out games at Ford in the near future as we continue to play Championship football.

This is why I'm praying for an NFL lock-out. Take away the biggest sports story in town and insert a continually improving local program who may have the best team they've had in 25 years playing almost all their games either at home or in texas against texas schools (GD-it why did Baylor have to drop us!) and Wham! We SHOULD have butts in the seats and a captive audience.
This season could be exactly what the doctor ordered......