Can't stand it!

[MrMustang1965]

Here's the reply I got from the SMU Mktg. Department after sending them my email about halftimes. Talk about tap-dancing around an issue!

"Thank you very much for your feedback, (name deleted). We do try to get outside groups involved for a number of reasons, but mainly to bring in people from other parts of the community and to entertain our fans.
Hopefully we can continue to accomplish these goals in a manner that is
positive for everyone. We will continue to listen to feedback from our
supporters as we plan our entertainment at basketball games next season.

In the meantime, I hope to see you tomorrow night and Saturday...
Thanks very much for your comments."

[Eddie P]

Well, what did you expect?

"Sorry sir to hear this is complaining on the Ponyfans.com message board. We will immediately cease all schedule halftime entertainment for the year. Thank you."

Your input was received and it will be considered for future arrangements. The man who runs the marketng at SMU is a very good man and he works hard with the limited resources he is given. I can assure you he takes your comments seriously.

[Spaz]

It's obvious that SMEW is someone who is on the minority side of this issue, whether they are from a rival band or not. My vote is it's Purple Pancho Lady. EAT THE FOOD, TINA!!

Does the marketting department even LOOK at ponyfans? Maybe they should poll the student body for ideas for halftime. Put an ad in the Daily Campus for ideas. Didn't they try to have a student driven marketting group at one point? What happened to that? I LOVE when this school has good ideas that just float in the crapper and accomplish NOTHING

[MustangStealth]

On the bright side, at least we don't have 4 year olds singing the national anthem anymore.

[MustangSally]

I know back in 2001, they had the "Athletic Affairs Committee" because I was on it. It started out with about 25 interested students from around campus who met with Heilbron to discuss student marketing ideas. By the 3rd meeting, there were 4 of us left, I don't really know what happened, I think the timing was just bad (this was organized near the end of the school year). Over the summer, the group disbanded completely and I never heard another thing about it.

I think another committee was started recently, so maybe they're getting some better ideas.

[DiamondM]

A. Spaz, love ya man, but you are a doofus if you actually believe the marketing guys are getting lazy. They work very hard with very limited resources.

B. Loved the bike stunt show, hate the prosti-tots (love that words, Spaz, it's even better than Tiny Tarts). However, bike stunt show costs money and brings in ZERO paid attendance. Little kids, doing whatever the heck their parents have chosen to pay for, costs nothing and actually brings in butts in seats and concession sales. Until our own SMU students and alums start showing up, crazy stage parents will have to do.

C. Uh, nice try on the idea of getting great SMU acts and contests going, but the marketing department tried SMU Idol. Brought in almost ZERO butts in seats (and pretty much sucked), and they're doing the Big Shot competition now. For Spaz and Mustang Sally, you know how hard it is to get campus acts for Pigskin, why do you think getting performers for a halftime show would be any different?

D. Good news is that I have the solution for all of you (well except Spaz and Mustang Sally until they graduate). Donate to the Mustang Club, come hang out in the Letterman's room at half time, skip the underage gyrations, and get drinks and snacks to boot. That way you never have to see another PIP if you don't want to. Oh, and maybe with your donations, we can actually improve our team, our crowd, our revenue, and eventually the quality of our halftime acts. Your money at work!!!

[couch 'em]

I still say you could get campus acts. If you advertise for acts for pigskin, people will go 'what is that'? and 'oh, that band thing' and nobody will care. People actually know what a basketball game is. It is much different than a dinner with a bunch of mband alums and inside jokes that most people at SMU wouldn't get.

[regis]

Couch -- You're probably way too young to remember this. But Pigskin used to be held at McFarlin and had many campus acts. We used to pack the joint. It was when the Greeks decided to go to the Parents Weekend Talent show that the campus support began to wain on Pigskin, which led to a 1/4 empty auditorium, which lost a lot of money, which is why Pigskin is what is now.

I agree with DiamondM. Campus acts has been done already and done poorly. SMU Marketing can only do so much with limited funds and a crappy fanbase/student interest level. Nobody cares about halftime. People will come when we are consistently good.

If you don't like what the "entertainment" is, then buy a Club membership and go to the reception. You won't miss any of the game. They have a countdown clock and everything.

[BarbaraAnn]

Why would I want to pay money to join a rich, alum club and sound all snobby on a message board?

Screw that nonsense.

I'm proud as HELL to be an SMU Alum, and I'm there, along with Mustang Sally, Couch 'em, and Spaz to friggin cheer for SMU, not sit in comfy little seats and dine on reheated food. F that. I'll eat those crappy $3 hot dogs and sit in those bleachers like I always do.

SMU Idol and The Big Shot are rather poor excuses, in my own opinion, for contests. Do I have a better idea? No, I won't lie. But I do believe that the Marketing Department has more resources than they make out to have. We don't need something that goes on for weeks because people lose interest.

Who cares which business student got kicked off tonight? Not me! The smaller the number of contestants get, the smaller the number of frats and sororities will be there. "Well, my XO sister isn't in it anymore so I'm going to a party instead." Zing

And if ANYONE gets my money, it's the band. I put too friggin much hard work, money, time, and effort into that band to see it dwindle how it has. If anyone deserves it, it's my brothers and sisters.

Hubba.

[mustangbill67]

I would not call the "Mustang Club" a "Rich Alum Club". I am sure there are some rich and very rich guys in the club but there are also a lot of people like me who struggle to give a nice donation to the club each year simply because we love SMU athletics. And some of us are not even undergraduate alums.

[MrMustang1965]

And some of us are not even undergraduate alums.

Not trying to nitpick here but you can't be an undergraduate AND an alum! Can you?

[couch 'em]

What if you have already gotten your degree in X, but you are now coming back to get another bachelor's degree in Y. Or possibly Z. Or if you can't hack it at Y or Z, bschool.

[MrMustang1965]

What if you have already gotten your degree in X, but you are now coming back to get another bachelor's degree in Y. Or possibly Z. Or if you can't hack it at Y or Z, bschool.

Then you'd be a POST graduate student, not an undergrad.

[mustangbill67]

Whatever. Merely trying to point out that the Mustang Club does include members who did not attend SMU as an undergraduate but did graduate from one of its post-graduate schools including law school. I bet there are also members who did not attend SMU at all. In any event, the point was that the club is not an exclusive rich alums club but a club for anyone who loves SMU athletics and wants to provide monetary support for the entire program in addition to tickets.

[MrMustang1965]

And I will be joining the MC along with my wife, who DID graduate from The Hilltop! GO MUSTANGS!