SoCal_Pony wrote:SMU_Alum11 wrote:SoCal_Pony wrote:I happen to agree with you that SMU FB is a money pit. I also think FB as a sport is trending down. It’s violent, masculine, expensive, played overwhelmingly by whites & blacks and supported overwhelmingly by whites in a country that is becoming more and more progressive, in debt, ethnically diverse and rightfully concerned about concussions. The game itself is also too long.
This is where SoCal and I depart ways. I'll leave it at that.
ΓÇÿ11, I say this within the context of the state of California, where I happen to live.
Back when Mike Cavan was our HC, years ago but still not that far back....
California was ~$100B in debt. Today it is maybe $500B* and growing. *Some say the true pension liabilities alone surpass $1 trillion.
California public schools were approximately 40% white. Today they are 23% and declining, with the highest growing ethnic groups being Hispanic (approaching 60%) and Asian.
Today....
California has 12% of the US population but ~33% of its welfare recipients.
California has the highest poverty rate in America, greater than even Mississippi.
If you make $53k you pay state taxes at a rate of 9.3%
The Teachers’ union out here is large and powerful, also extremely liberal/progressive and most certainly anti-masculinity. The concussion issues related to FB are real (this explains in part the rapid rise in popularity with Lacrosse). Supporting FB to some is akin to supporting gladiator games, boxing or bull fights. It doesn’t help that conservative white males disproportionately support FB by overwhelming numbers.
You add that all up along with the reality that states cannot tax their way out of problems and you can see why I at least think FB is in decline.
California's poverty rate was 13.4% over the last three years, which is lower than Texas' at 14.0%.
These were the worst five states in order:
Louisiana.................. 20.0
Mississippi............... 19.5
New Mexico............... 18.7
West Virginia............ 16.6
Kentucky.................. 16.4
https://www.census.gov/library/publicat ... 0-263.htmlThe decline in football participation is interesting. We didn't let our son play tackle football until 7th grade and by then he stayed with soccer. I liked lacrosse but people started playing the sport in first grade.
The thing with King Larry is that no one really expected him to be at SMU long term. He was only at the Italian club for less than a year. Was Jank as coach in waiting the best move? With those ten wins in a row when LB was out, it seemed like a good bet.
