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Front page story today in the DMN about George Mason and what the final four run has meant to the school. They are being bombarded with press and alums are coming out of the woodwork.

Gist of the article is how the basketball team has put the school back on the map. I think this is important reading for some of the faculty or administration that does not see the power that the athletic programs possess for the well being of the entire school.

If I knew how to paste an article I would do it, but maybe someone can help out.

Thank goodness. I was scared this was going to be a thread [deleted] about the DMN covering the Final 4 instead of SMU practice.

Danny Noonan wrote:Thank goodness. I was scared this was going to be a thread [deleted] about the DMN covering the Final 4 instead of SMU practice.

My bad, I forgot about the obligitory [deleted] session of how the DMN is actually catering to the demographic of its buyers!!

GMU is going to be the Cinderellas and get their 15 minutes of fame. I hope that they win it all. I think today they're playing softball or flag football or something like that as they've been doing all year every Tuesday. I would like it because I want the SEC and PAC-10 to have to join the BE, ACC, and B-10 in eating a great big sloppy do do sandwich.

EastStang wrote:GMU is going to be the Cinderellas and get their 15 minutes of fame. I hope that they win it all. I think today they're playing softball or flag football or something like that as they've been doing all year every Tuesday. I would like it because I want the SEC and PAC-10 to have to join the BE, ACC, and B-10 in eating a great big sloppy do do sandwich.

I would like nothing more that for them to win it all - stuff the big conferences and tell Billy Packer to go to hell. I think it's funny about how much he ranted and raved about the mid-majors. He is such an idiot...they need to fire him.

[quote="Danny Noonan"]Thank goodness. I was scared this was going to be a thread [deleted] about the DMN covering the Final 4 instead of SMU practice.[/quote]

Now that you mention it......

If SMU was in the Final Four this week -

*The story would run below a look back at UT's great season, and their propects for next year.

*Dale Hansen would be unable to find the campus with a Mapsco, hand-held GPS, OnStar, and a sextant.

*Blackistone would write a column that said schools like SMU ("a few thousand" enrollment), had no business trying to run with "the big dogs", and that they we were probably cheating again, like small schools do.

Oh, and demographics my a**. Home team is home team.

Demographics (part II)

They'd probably sell more papers if they went all porn too. Think they'll do that?

Money shouldn't be the only factor. How about 'local journalism'?

mr. pony wrote:Now that you mention it......

If SMU was in the Final Four this week -

*The story would run below a look back at UT's great season, and their propects for next year.

*Blackistone would write a column that said schools like SMU ("a few thousand" enrollment), had no business trying to run with "the big dogs", and that they we were probably cheating again, like small schools do.

Oh, and demographics my a**. Home team is home team.

If we made the Final Four or a big bowl, I think the local media would concentrate on the failure of UT to recruit their home turf!!

I completely agree with you, Mr. Pony.

mr. pony wrote:

Danny Noonan wrote:Thank goodness. I was scared this was going to be a thread [deleted] about the DMN covering the Final 4 instead of SMU practice.

Now that you mention it......

If SMU was in the Final Four this week -

*The story would run below a look back at UT's great season, and their propects for next year.

*Dale Hansen would be unable to find the campus with a Mapsco, hand-held GPS, OnStar, and a sextant.

*Blackistone would write a column that said schools like SMU ("a few thousand" enrollment), had no business trying to run with "the big dogs", and that they we were probably cheating again, like small schools do.

Oh, and demographics my a**. Home team is home team.

Um, I am certainly not an apologist for the DMN, but supply and demand is a basic and time tested principle in our history and economy. Demographics is what the entire newspaper industry is based on.

I would suggest a little brush up at the SMU continuing education night school. I think it is called "Economics for House Wives"

Blunt Pony wrote:I think it is called "Economics for House Wives"

Not very PC old boy. Tsk, tsk.

PK wrote:

Blunt Pony wrote:I think it is called "Economics for House Wives"

Not very PC old boy. Tsk, tsk.

I'm sorry, Domestic Engineers.

You can argue it a number of ways. There are things you must do to sell papers and there are things you should do because you are the local paper, and of course there are things you shouldn't do to sell papers. You probably shouldn't run nude photos of Brittany Spears unless you're a London Newspaper. You should carry local stories. You should carry stories that readers care about. The argument for many SMU fans is that because we are the local university we ought to get some coverage which is a valid argument. The comeback is that "we want to sell papers". To which the response to that should be, well why don't you put nude photos in the paper. They'll say, because we have standards. To which the response is, I thought you wanted to sell newspapers.

mr. pony wrote:Money shouldn't be the only factor. How about 'local journalism'?

I think the Metro section is Secttion B. Have fun.

EastStang wrote:You should carry local stories. You should carry stories that readers care about. The argument for many SMU fans is that because we are the local university we ought to get some coverage which is a valid argument. The comeback is that "we want to sell papers".

What about this comeback:

SMU sports get all the coverage the state of the programs warrants. We are horrible and yet we have our own beat writer? That's actually more than warranted.

jtstang wrote:

mr. pony wrote:Money shouldn't be the only factor. How about 'local journalism'?

I think the Metro section is Secttion B. Have fun.

Isn't the Metro Section where SMU is usually covered?