Their true Model

[Nacho]

It gets harder and harder to write something after another loss. Looks like we are heading for no better than 3-8 again and may go 2-9.

SMU is football futility. I honestly don't think the people in charge of SMU athletics care if we win or lose. Honestly. I mean it. If they do care they have a very strange way of showing it. Yeah the crowd was pathetic but I think most of the fans were on the west side to get out of the sun.

Where do we start--the usual suspects?. Copeland, the board, Turner, Bennett? I'm tired of blaming them. They are a moving target. No one stands still long enough to take the blame. This school is truly pathetic, with a capitol P. I don't sense any urgency from anyone to do anything. Bennett has to be growing weary. How could he not? Copeland has presided over 10 years of football ineptitude. Turner and the board have been there right beside him.

Bottom line: we stink and always willl until/unless SMU somehow, some way gets it. I don't think they will. They are perfectly content to go 3-8, fire the coach and do it all over again. That my friends is their true Model.

If you are going to ride this pony you have to have another team to root for--in whatever sport. Luckily I have the Astros this year. It helps. Believe me, it helps.

I wanted to mention that I will no longer be posting or reading the board during the day. I will read the board at night and on weekends. I will post after games and occasionally at other times. It has been fun talking to you guys on the day shift. Be honest. Don't let up. Don't give up.
Maybe something/someone will fall into our laps. Even if it does I'm not sure anyone at SMU will recognize it.

[Stallion]

a sense of urgency is now at least 10 years overdue-people just don't care anymore if SMU doesn;t care-that's why there were probably about 6,000 paid attendance today. 6,000 people Geez.

[Charleston Pony]

You are absolutely right on with this post. Sad but true. Did anyone buy into the "Commitment" ? We are the laughing stock of Division I-A.

Good thing Rice is Homecoming. We might get 10,000 at that game.

[PonySnob]

Still wonder why we cannot adopt an athletic model that i similar to TCU's!!! They are 6-1 and headed towards another successful season with a top 25 ranking and probable bowl bid.

[that's great raplh]

great point

it should be SMU and not TCU going to a bowl game

we are a much better school, in a much better town

and as i say we say in NYC - ft worth is to dallas as new jersey is to new york

[SoCal_Pony]

Well that has always been my beef since the DP. That’s why I called last weeks’ victory a Dead Cat Bounce. People on this board blame our coaches, our schemes, our tackling, our scheduling, heck they even blame Stallion…it goes on and on and on.

Supporters say there is improvement, but it is usually silent and almost always done at a snails pace. Expectations are so low that diehard fans (those that post on this site) are ok with predicting ‘3 wins this season and 4 next, as long as I see improvement’. Entering into this season we had only 1 victory in 5 years over a team with a winning record, yet when I call a Hail Mary victory over UAB a fluke people take exception.

What we witnessed yesterday in attendance was an accumulation of 16 years of the Pye Model and IMO one of the lowest points in SMU history. If this doesn’t shake Turner and our Board, then I am afraid nothing catastrophic will for the remainder of this season and we will simply see more of the same next year.

Since the infamous ‘Commitment Speech’, only Temple, Idaho, Duke, Buffalo and Army have won fewer games than SMU.

[Nacho]

Turner and Copeland probably see no correlation between what has gone on under their leadership and attendance. The probably think that SMU fans just don't like football in general.

SMU is at an all-time low and that is saying something. When you are in a hole this deep only 2 things to do: 1) give up and quit 2) work like crazy to make it better. Most industrious people would choose #2. I'm afraid we have chosen a third path 3) Do the same things we have done for the last 10 years and hope for different result.

[docabel]

Still wonder why we cannot adopt an athletic model that i similar to TCU's!!! They are 6-1 and headed towards another successful season with a top 25 ranking and probable bowl bid.

If I am not mistaken, one of the biggest "advantages" that TCU has is that they have a "general studies" program, of which SMU has nothing similar. So we are basically out of the running for many of these recruits who view college as only a chance to play football. The thought of doing anything remotely more intelectually challenging than Ballroom Dancing (ala Matt Leinart) scares them off.

But again, that is what makes a degree from SMU worth so much more than a degree from TCU.....

[Charleston Pony]

whenever I watch televised games that show guys' majors, that "sports management" program keeps popping up. I think a lot of programs are going that way. Not sure what that major involves and it could vary from school to school, but something that prepares athletes for lives/careers in coaching, broadcasting, athletic training, athletic administration, etc... would sure help

[WorldStang]

Do what I did.. send your tickets back with a note to Turner.. and don't go to the football games.

he already responded to me..

[SMU Football Blog]

he already responded to me..

Oh, please, do tell.

[WorldStang]

he already responded to me..

Oh, please, do tell.

Thank you for your recent letter expressing concern over the disappointing record in football and to some extent men's basketball. Obviously, no one is happy with our record in football to date.

Our move to Conference USA is helping to attenuate one of the major problems that have hurt these two sports, the demise of the Southwest Conference. It has been very difficult to recruit to the WAC; therefore, during the last two years the benefits of Conference USA are visible in our recruits for both sports.

We are committed to developing winning programs throughout the program. I can assure you that we have not lessened that commitment regardless of who is in any particular position at the moment.

Best wishes,
R. Gerald Turner
President
Southern Methodist University

[SMU Football Blog]

Two things:

First, the emphasis on Conference USA is disheartening. The conference cahnges cannot be used as a crutch to justify the status quo.

Second, notice there is no mention of Copeland or Bennett.

[WorldStang]

Two things:

First, the emphasis on Conference USA is disheartening. The conference cahnges cannot be used as a crutch to justify the status quo.

Second, notice there is no mention of Copeland or Bennett.

I thought the ".. regardless who is in any particular position at the moment" quote was interesting from him.

[BRStang]

Turner letter summary:

Dope Copeland has personally assured me that we will suck less next year.

Best wishes,
R. Gerald Turner
President
Southern Methodist University