A Humble Proposal

[ponyboy]

If recruits are coming to this board to look at our posts to make their decision whether or not to come to SMU then they are going about the process all wrong anyway.

I agree. Problem is this, though: They do in fact come here and judge SMU.

If recruits come here to see what the alums think of things generally, then no three week moratorium is going to change their perception of our perception.

Sure it will. Because now is the time they're making their decisions.

[ponyplayer]

I am not at liberty to say what garden variety type i am therefore i will plead the 5th on this one............

[me@smu]

What the hell does it matter if they come on and judge us or not. The point is that this should be a rather positive time for us...we had a good end to the season, PB and staff are out recruiting hard and on Feb 2nd we will find out our new freshman.

What is going to happen in the next three weeks that absolutely requires us to bash the program/school? Are we going to get a fresh prespective on how our academic standards don't let in some players? Perhaps, How because we haven't gotten a committ from an all-area team we are going to lose horribly in the next few years? How our recent record is bad and can be blamed on a) Death Penalty b) Administration c) fall of the SWC d) PB?

The point is that we have bashed everything already, so for three weeks why don't we shut up and support the program as it stands. If something major happens in the next three weeks like Matt Stafford being rejected by PB we can lift the moratorium and [deleted] and moan. Short of that...what can't wait until after signing day?

[mrydel]

I would say I am a sunshining kind of optimist, but why does everyone think a recruit would make a decision on a school's message board. And especially only things posted in January. If that were true all we need to do is sign up on all the other school boards and bad mouth the school as if we go there. Say all kinds of things bad about their coaches and be sure and add, "gee, I hope no recruits find out how good SMU really is". Then they would all come to us. If a recruit would learn anything from this board (at least one that would qualify academically) it would be the passion that most all of us have no matter how stated, to have a winning team again. Except of course those people from other schools that are posting on our board now saying all of those bad things about us.

[jtstang]

mrydel, you are a master of the obvious. My hat is off to you, sir. Everyone in favor of a moratorium please take note.

[ponyboy]

What is going to happen in the next three weeks that absolutely requires us to bash the program/school?

The answer to this just might be that our onboard legal team is incapable of waiting until after signing day. Why with such a moratorium they might explode should their only outlet (save of course the destruction of peoples lives via their chosen professions and the occasional illicit romance in the bathroom stall at Cowboys) be taken from them. Guess they could continue to monitor the board 24/7 for signs of "sunshining" and pm the perpetrators.

The point is that recruits do look at this board and, in doing so, are influenced by what's posted here. But even if I was wrong (which I'm confident enough in myself to admit is a possibility), I like your point that it wouldn't kill everyone here to just enjoy a little time off from spitting venom at the coaches, players, administrators, or fans of SMU. Call me crazy.

[jtstang]

You're crazy.

ATTENTION LURKING RECRUITS:
Our football program currently stinks, but has shown recent signs of smelling better. If you are inclined, come and help it achieve flower status. Who knows, sometime in the next four years (or maybe five, if the NCAA adopts the proposed rule, or you redshirt) you might even get to see the post-season, and make all of our lives better.

[giacfsp]

Let's just say for the sake of argument that what you say is true (and for the record, I don't entirely agree). How exactly does that post help convince a "lurking recruit" decide that SMU is the place to be?

[jtstang]

Let's just say for the sake of argument that what you say is true (and for the record, I don't entirely agree). How exactly does that post help convince a "lurking recruit" decide that SMU is the place to be?

Thanks for helping me make my point.

[PK]

Speaking of lurking jt...why don't you go lurk on the message boards of your new adopted holy shrine of passion (UT) and please...don't help us with enticing recruits with post like the one above. If it's not bad enough that the Administration handicaps our recruiting that you should decide to help handicaping it some more. And if by some chance that was not just a bad attempt at humor, then it is just highly irresponsible. I am truely disappointed in you.

[Stallion]

I promise that what I post will be true and accurate to the best of my information. If SMU is forced to sign a 6-0 JUCO Platoon QB who runs a 4.95's and received ZERO Division 1A scholarship offers in the last recruiting season because the coaching staff was not allowed to get the real prospects they wanted into school then let me assure you I am going to heap torrents of criticism upon the school.

[PK]

I promise that what I post will be true and accurate to the best of my information. If SMU is forced to sign a 6-0 JUCO Platoon QB who runs a 4.95's and received ZERO Division 1A scholarship offers in the last recruiting season because the coaching staff was not allowed to get the real prospects they wanted into school then let me assure you I am going to heap torrents of criticism upon the school.

As well you/we should, but could we wait until it actually happens though before exploding?

[jtstang]

Speaking of lurking jt...why don't you go lurk on the message boards of your new adopted holy shrine of passion (UT) and please...don't help us with enticing recruits with post like the one above. If it's not bad enough that the Administration handicaps our recruiting that you should decide to help handicaping it some more. And if by some chance that was not just a bad attempt at humor, then it is just highly irresponsible. I am truely disappointed in you.

Surely you can't be serious PK. What you or I or anyone else says on this board should not make a hill of beans in the decision of any recruit worth having. If a recruit decides not to come here, it may be because we stink, but it certainly won't be because I wrote we stink.

[giacfsp]

Ideally, that's true. But seeing a board with "fans" in the name and reading mostly negative stuff can't help.

[PK]

Surely you can't be serious PK. What you or I or anywon else says on this board l not make a hill of beans in the decision of any recruit worth having. If a recruit decides not to come here, it may be because we stink, but it certainly won't be because I wrote we stink.

We are talking about 18 year-olds here from may different parts of Texas and other states who maybe have not followed SMU at all, but suddenly have coaches trying to convince them to come join us here. So they check out the "fan" boards to see what is happening and on ours they find a bunch of "fans" [deleted] and moaning and claiming our team stinks. Do you seriously think that has no impact? For sure they have not read two years worth of your posts to know that the bulge in your cheek is not a wad of tabacco.

BTW, a 5-6 team does not stink, especially this one that beat three bowl teams including TCU who beat OU and then beat Iowa State in their bowl game. We are improving and if you remember, Rossley's last 5-6 team was 6-5 the next year and would probably have been 7-4 if not for a stupid move by coach Cavan to bench our best offensive player for that last game. (BTW, what was that benching suppose to prove? The kid was a senior and that was his last game.)