Gutless -- Typical SMU

[Mestengo]

lol

[2ndandlong]

2nd and long - i think you are offering a sanitized version. And naming the provost office (there isn't one) and the Mustang Club as supportive is kind of ridiculous.

I can see how someone would be [deleted] enough about this to walk. I do think it was overly conservative and kind of typical of the Turner method. We needed to see some backbone and passion, and we got a limp handshake.

You watch what happens to the next appeal of these sort of sanctions. THe other school will get relief, meanwhile we squandered our current team and look like we aren't ready for prime time.

Welcome to sports? If we had sports like everyone else had sports, we would have been prepared for this, would have defended it with better representation when it first came up, and would be supporting our best team in years and our thousands of loyal basketball fans by appealing the post season ban and pushing this to its logical conclusion instead of being a surrender monkey.

First, my name is Allen Shank. I'm president of the Mustang Club. I sit on two Board of Trustee subcommittees including athletics, and I sit on the athletics council which has academic oversight over athletics (with the assistant provost). I've attended meetings with all of the above including legal counsel since infractions were announced. I have intimate knowledge of the internal discussions and am thoroughly pleased with how open Turner and others have been thus far.

With all that said, yeah, I feel comfortable speaking on behalf of the mustang club and others. But I am extremely frustrated by the fact that the university openly disclosed that they thoroughly vetted the sanctions with internal and external counsel; however, ponyfans seem to think they sat on their hands for a week doing nothing.

I apologize if I offended you by saying welcome to sports. I am one of the approx 200 people that have had basketball tickets for more than 5 years, so I have had great frustration over the years for lack of fan support for SMU basketball.

I am certain I will continue to watch what happens when other schools appeal. But I know the ability to appeal a postseason ban with 4 obvious level one sanctions that each carry a minimum of 1-2 year postseason ban was fruitless. And the way the new infraction rules are written, we could have technically gotten additional years' ban when reviewed.

Further, Larry didn't want to appeal. He knew the unlikelihood of overturning the ban. He knew the cloud this would cast over his last few years of coaching. He is devastated by all this and feels responsible to his players, especially the seniors. He wants to move on and finish his career at SMU.

I wish we found a way to appeal. I am saddened we could not find a way to make it work but it was not for a lack of effort looking for a basis to overturn the penalty.

I am incredibly committed to SMU athletics with my time and my money. I have spent years as a fundraiser through the morgan campaign, I have individually led other fundraising campaigns for both football and basketball, I have had season tickets to multiple sports since my mid20s and I am in my fifth year on the MC board.

I am a fanatic. This BS won't deter me. I will go to every home game and leave hoarse just like I have in previous years. I will stay committed to show players and recruits that we won't be deterred. I am excited that hundreds of other fans will be right there with me.

I don't get why someone would walk away. Not one bit. I am disappointed to read that others see this as a reason to quit. I can't believe that any of the other 200 would understand this either.

I hope people change their minds. I hope people know that we turned our program around and are still on our way up. The way up is never a straight line.

[Charleston Pony]

word from one of the 1500

[smubrooks]

2ndandlong - thank you for sharing. I have no insight or connections so I appreciate hearing from someone who does.

I plan on continuing to support our team and this whole mess is going to cause me to be even rowdier this season!!!

[Rebel10]

It has been 8 months since Syracuse appealed their sanctions and the NCAA has not even had a hearing on their appeal. If SMU appealed and it took 8 months the the team would have had a chance to play in the NCAA tournament whether they would have been successful in their sanctions appeal or not.

[Charleston Pony]

2ndandlong - thank you for sharing. I have no insight or connections so I appreciate hearing from someone who does.

I plan on continuing to support our team and this whole mess is going to cause me to be even rowdier this season!!!

hopefully your reaction is that of the majority of our bball fans this year and Moody takes it to a whole new level making it a very unpleasant place for our visitors

[gostangs]

Well thanks for being a 5 year season ticket holder. I have had both my basketball and football season tickets for over 25 years, and unfortunately that means i have seen a great deal more from the NCAA than you have. They love to whack people up front to make a splash, and then when challenged to the NEXT COMMITTEE they very often lessen the punishment.

I can only speak for myself, but it is not that i think they did nothing for a week - it is that i think we didn't use the correct representation originally, and then after getting hit in the face we came to the no post season appeal conclusion quickly at the top, and then have been selling it and rationalizing it for a week. Trust me - this call was made very early after the sanctions were announced. Everything else was circling wagons for show. I have been around all the same SMU organizations you just listed and i have seen how it works. Nobody wants to lose their insider status by challenging the way the wind is blowing. And the Mustang club and provost would fall in line with the admin on anything, so lets not pretend they are independent bodies.

I also am perhaps cynical enough to think that if Turner and others tell Larry this is how it needs to be and we need your help selling it, he would do so. He feels very badly about this and wants to end here on a good note, and will walk the line if need be. I am sure this breaks his heart for the seniors more than any of us. That he wants to retire well is one of the reasons to have hope about all this.

i would never walk away from SMU over this (or probably anything), but i can see how others might. It is extremely disappointing to see us cower - and i would say the chances of an overturn are much better than you state - but you are getting the company line. I would also say that our recruiting will be below par for two years anyway - so we should have taken our shot with this team. Turner didn't want this extended out and that is why it is not going to be - period.

I would ask you to perhaps step back from your insider spot and think about why some folks might not want to take this to the mat. You will see how everything else falls in place based on that. They all think in good faith it is best for SMU so it is just a difference of opinion.

Decision made so no need to harp on it. It is just a gigantically missed opportunity and a poor message to our very few faithful in my view.

[2ndandlong]

It has been 8 months since Syracuse appealed their sanctions and the NCAA has not even had a hearing on their appeal. If SMU appealed and it took 8 months the the team would have had a chance to play in the NCAA tournament whether they would have been successful in their sanctions appeal or not.

Not a relevant comparison. It was different infractions structure and a different appeal process.

[Mestengo]

Well 2 and long you did move to the second row for half the donation but at least you kept your seats my friend

[2ndandlong]

Go,
Your posts are opinion and speculation and not based in fact, so there's no arguing with you. It appears to me that you haven't spoken with anyone or spent any real time reading the actual report and the infractions/ appeal rules.

[2ndandlong]

Well 2 and long you did move to the second row for half the donation but at least you kept your seats my friend

lol touché

[Greenwich Pony]

Yeah, I'm out. We don't stand up for ourselves and our brand despite an egregiously heavy-handed punishment for a self-reported violation. If this is the way we're going to play, we need to drop to division III or whatever they're calling it this week, immediately. SMU gets no more money or support in any way, shape or form from me as long as Turner remains president. I may only donate about a grand a year so it's not like buildings are being named after me, but those checks are now going to be written to someone else who cares about their brand.

It wasn't self reported. They busted us through an investigation. The original report they received proved incorrect, but their investigation uncovered the violations.

The trustees, provosts office, Mustang Club and coaches all support the administrations decision along with a lot of the fan base. This was an informed decision and is trying to do as much for the program as could be achieved through the appeal process. It's unfortunate that there wasn't a viable way to overcome the postseason ban.

And walking away from the program and school doesn't sound like a loyal fan. Don't know how we will ever have a program when all the bandwagoners show their true colors at the first opportunity to jump ship.

Suck it up. Welcome to sports. Be a fanatic and root for your team whatever the obstacles.

This isn't about being a sports fan, my concern is far greater than that. I have cheered for the Ponies for longer than I like to admit, and easily before the death penalty, and would continue to wish the kids well into the future. Perhaps it is better for the program to not appeal, though I cannot see any reason whatsoever to not appeal this egregious punishment. I actually think that we should get something, and that some heads should roll for academic malfeasance. Extra benefits are one thing, but messing with the academic reputation of the school- heads should roll. I'm okay with that.

What this is about is the stewardship of the SMU brand. This administration has generally been mediocre about maintaining the brand aside from raising a fistful of cash (which is appreciated). My problem is that not appealing and not fighting for our good name in this situation just further tarnishes our reputation, that we're the cheating jock school (again). It's not like we are flying up the academic totem pole (I work with major education clients and our academic rep has not improved much at all); and I understand that is a slow slog, but we're barely holding the same position for going on 15 years. Shiny new fountains make the school pretty, but don't impress our peers. Our public relations outreach is amateurish and second-rate and pretty much always has been. Failing to vigorously support the brand yet again against a clear-cut case of selective over-enforcement by his own selected coach, it's the last straw.

When a new administration comes in the I will review my position, but it is time for Turner and perhaps a few others at Perkins to go...

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Thanks, 2ndandlong

[Rebel10]

Thanks, 2ndandlong

I figured that you would say that Corso.

[Rebel10]

It has been 8 months since Syracuse appealed their sanctions and the NCAA has not even had a hearing on their appeal. If SMU appealed and it took 8 months the the team would have had a chance to play in the NCAA tournament whether they would have been successful in their sanctions appeal or not.

Not a relevant comparison. It was different infractions structure and a different appeal process.

When we got the sanctions ESPN went over thoroughly how the appeal process worked and how SMU could get into the tournament this year if they appealed even of they lost the appeal. I believe your response is a bunch of company line crap. Turner even said in his press conference that it would be February before the NCAA could even review the appeal.