Practice facility

[ponydawg]

Man this is a tuff call-
McClown thinks the practice facility is a bad idea and won't help in recruiting....
Doherty thinks it is much needed and will help in recruiting......

I don't know who to side with on this one. I know Doherty's basketball experience, but I fully don't know McClown's experience with College and NBA basketball. Geez, this one is to close to call

[Blunt Pony]

Basketball is where we have the "opportunity" to compete on the big stage and I am glad that we are removing barriers to that progress by investing in this facility. Will other improvements help? Of course, but this is much needed and is a step in the right direction.

As Blog pointed out, the practice facility will primarily help in logistics. It will not recruit players or help them to improve. It is really not something the alumni can enjoy.

The only thing to help insure SMU's success would be to fix the model. Otherwise, these facility upgrades are smoke to blow in the faces of alums to conceal the truth..

I am pretty sure that you are just trying to [deleted] people off, but if indeed you got a degree from SMU I hope that it was not from the Cox School because that would devalue all of our diplomas. Buying decisions, like college choices, are not made on one componet. To simplify your argument that the model must change and everything else be damned is like saying that price is the only issue in a buying decision. The model is important, always has been and has really never been disputed, but the practice facility is another aspect of attracting players. Each componet of the big picture plays some role in the success. Not sure why this is a tough concept to grasp. It is really not even worth debating. Even if the facility attracts not one recruit, can you say that it will hurt recruiting? Just not sure what your end game is my man.

[McClown27]

Man this is a tuff call-
McClown thinks the practice facility is a bad idea and won't help in recruiting....
Doherty thinks it is much needed and will help in recruiting......

Why hasn't the practice facility helped TCU in recruiting? Why hasn't Ford helped our recruiting or gameday attendance? Facilities simply do not help recruiting.

Y'all can focus your anger at me all you want. Good luck with your business degree.

[McClown27]

I am pretty sure that you are just trying to [deleted] people off, but if indeed you got a degree from SMU I hope that it was not from the Cox School because that would devalue all of our diplomas. Buying decisions, like college choices, are not made on one componet. To simplify your argument that the model must change and everything else be damned is like saying that price is the only issue in a buying decision. The model is important, always has been and has really never been disputed, but the practice facility is another aspect of attracting players. Each componet of the big picture plays some role in the success. Not sure why this is a tough concept to grasp. It is really not even worth debating. Even if the facility attracts not one recruit, can you say that it will hurt recruiting? Just not sure what your end game is my man.

1) Building an expensive practice facility loses the athletic department political capital within the university. No one can deny this fact.
2) Instead of using the political capital on something that will only marginally affect the program, I would use it to change the transfer rules and level the playing field.
3) I would wait to build facilities until the program is more competitive. Otherwise, they are empty unless we play Texas Tech or TCU and the athletic deficit continues to expand.

[mrydel]

So you mean you would use the money to bribe the Regents or the Faculty Board to change the rules for admission?

[jtstang]

No, I think he'd use it to bribe the Dallas Morning News to mention the little ponies on page one of Sports Day every day.

[Stallion]

Look McClown I've grown up with many of therse faculty/administration types. Had lunch too many times to mention in the old Faculty Club with about 10 sitting at the table. THEY WILL NEVER SUPPORT athletics. NEVER. They despies athletics because they are dorks. WHO CARES? The Faculty doesn't run the university.

[ponydawg]

Why hasn't the practice facility helped TCU in recruiting? Why hasn't Ford helped our recruiting or gameday attendance? Facilities simply do not help recruiting.

Y'all can focus your anger at me all you want. Good luck with your business degree.

haha, yes i will focus my anger on you....grrr.....boy am i mad.

Ford has helped, it has not cured our problems but it has helped. I am a huge pony fan, but after watching us for 12 years lose, I don't think I could muster up driving out to the cotton bowl and watch us lose there. Prolly would not have 4 season tickets and get friends to go if we played at the scummy cotton bowl.
And again, I am sure you are a genius when it comes to business but I am going to go with Doherty and Orsini. Sorry about all my anger....

[jtstang]

If you've ONLY watched SMU lose for twelve years, you're one of the lucky ones.

[Blunt Pony]

I am pretty sure that you are just trying to [deleted] people off, but if indeed you got a degree from SMU I hope that it was not from the Cox School because that would devalue all of our diplomas. Buying decisions, like college choices, are not made on one componet. To simplify your argument that the model must change and everything else be damned is like saying that price is the only issue in a buying decision. The model is important, always has been and has really never been disputed, but the practice facility is another aspect of attracting players. Each componet of the big picture plays some role in the success. Not sure why this is a tough concept to grasp. It is really not even worth debating. Even if the facility attracts not one recruit, can you say that it will hurt recruiting? Just not sure what your end game is my man.

1) Building an expensive practice facility loses the athletic department political capital within the university. No one can deny this fact.
2) Instead of using the political capital on something that will only marginally affect the program, I would use it to change the transfer rules and level the playing field.
3) I would wait to build facilities until the program is more competitive. Otherwise, they are empty unless we play Texas Tech or TCU and the athletic deficit continues to expand.

The money is being raised specifically for this project. This is not money that is just sitting in the jar looking for a home. Do you think we would have $12MM raised just cause we promise to use it sometime down the road? Our alums have been hoodwinked before and there are not many left that would donate into the empty promises of years past. This facility is something tangible and is the only reason we are receiving the donations that you see.

To point #2 how is money going to change the transfer policy??

To point #3 it is called "chicken/egg" and a practice facility is about as optional as wearing a uniform these days. It is a basic necessity.

The thud that everyone keeps hearing is my head hitting a brick wall. This debate is asinine.

[McClown27]

Look McClown I've grown up with many of therse faculty/administration types. Had lunch too many times to mention in the old Faculty Club with about 10 sitting at the table. THEY WILL NEVER SUPPORT athletics. NEVER. They despies athletics because they are dorks. WHO CARES? The Faculty doesn't run the university.

Leveling the playing field should be the priority before facilities. And yes, the faculty will be pissed that the school is building a $12 practice facility after buying out a basketball coach. This is after a $10 million dollar deficit. None of this would matter if the programs begin to win. The limited political capital the athletic community has should be spent trying to get these changes.

For those of you that say we should do both, I heard the same thing the time Ford was built. I am still waiting for the changes. Copeland got his stadium, but the money sports are unable to get the athletes.

[jtstang]

Leveling the playing field should be the priority before facilities.

But how can we do that until the Dallas Morning News incorporates a new daily section dedicated to SMU sports?? It's a catch 22!!! WHAAAAAAA!!!!!

[CalallenStang]

Look McClown I've grown up with many of therse faculty/administration types. Had lunch too many times to mention in the old Faculty Club with about 10 sitting at the table. THEY WILL NEVER SUPPORT athletics. NEVER. They despies athletics because they are dorks. WHO CARES? The Faculty doesn't run the university.

Actually, I had lunch with a marketing professor on Monday and he's a member of some university-wide board or another...he actually said the only reason that the school isn't even better than it is is because they can't attract some of the top students because "the football team sucks"

[The PonyGrad]

The argument that since TCU built their facility there recruiting has gone down proves nothing. A lot has changed in the bball program there. That makes that comparison ludicrious. New coach new conference...

You are going to have to do better than that.

[McClown27]

Actually, I had lunch with a marketing professor on Monday and he's a member of some university-wide board or another...he actually said the only reason that the school isn't even better than it is is because they can't attract some of the top students because "the football team sucks"

Yeah, Rice, Emory, and Vanderbilt (our benchmark academic schools) all have big problems with getting qualified students.