Good grief Charlie Brown.

[BUS]

Whaaaa. All over every thread. Just focus, come out hot and win.
That is all that needs to be done. Don't be so weak and fragile of thought.

Buck up buttercup.

Smu,s future is bright.

Might even say Sonny.

[Water Pony]

Thanks, Bus, for capturing my feelings on the all the Debbie Downers.

We will win, or not.

Sonny will stay, or not.

SMU will continue to progress, or not.

I will stay a Mustang, or …. (There is no not).

[BUS]

There are those that competed and many that never did. Buck up Mustangs.

[SMU_Alum11]

Understand for those who are like me, "the new guys", we watched June's collapse after rumors, and Chad walking off for us to get mauled at a crappy bowl game. We've always felt that we are about to flip it into 3rd gear only for the whole transmission to fall through.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

Understand for those who are like me, "the new guys", we watched June's collapse after rumors, and Chad walking off for us to get mauled at a crappy bowl game. We've always felt that we are about to flip it into 3rd gear only for the whole transmission to fall through.

Welcome to "battered pony syndrome". Believe me, it is real. So '11 there is no shame in what is a 25 year plus fact. Over the years I have known several friends that were true Mustang fans croak "waiting for things to turn around in the next few years".

[SMU_Alum11]

Understand for those who are like me, "the new guys", we watched June's collapse after rumors, and Chad walking off for us to get mauled at a crappy bowl game. We've always felt that we are about to flip it into 3rd gear only for the whole transmission to fall through.

Welcome to "battered pony syndrome". Believe me, it is real. So '11 there is no shame in what is a 25 year plus fact. Over the years I have known several friends that were true Mustang fans croak "waiting for things to turn around in the next few years".

IPP, very sad to hear that but at least they saw the mustangs relevant. At best (like now), I get asked, "Which cupcake did SMU play this weekend?".

[EastStang]

Life in G5 world. A good coach gets attention of big money schools. Luckily the schools interested in Sonny are TT and TCU (and perhaps VT). They don't have the lure of money in addition to salary because they are not market movers. In many other conferences the Coach of the Big School, gets endorsement, radio and TV revenue and other perks. If he stays at SMU and builds our program, Dallas is his best chance at those kinds of dollars. We should pay the man, he's earned it. But if he gets offered more by another school then that's life in the G5. The UTSA coach set the market price. Can we afford it?

[redpony]

The UTSA coach set the market price. Can we afford it?

IMO not 'can we afford it' but will the admin and $$boosters step up and make the effort to keep him because yes we can afford it if they so desire.

[Water Pony]

I agree that Jeff Traylor's contract extension is the baseline for keeping a high performing coach in long term role in a G5 school.

"No. 16 UTSA and coach Jeff Traylor have agreed to a contract extension worth $28 million that runs through the 2031 season."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb ... NewsSearch

[Blvd_Stang]

FEAR AND DOOM...

WHEN CHAD MORRIS LEFT... FEAR AND DOOM

WHEN WE HIRED SONNNY DYKES... FEAR AND DOOM

IF SONNY LEAVES... FEAR AND DOOM

Everything will likely be OK. We need to just keep investing heavily into football (facilities, marketing, staff, etc.) and we will keep attracting talent (coaching & players).

What we REALLY REALLY REALLY need is a strategy to fill the stadium by making it a better experience. If it were me, I'd set aside a 3M budget for musical artists at halftime. ~500k per artist x 6 games will get you some pretty big name musicians. Bring in the casual fan and fans' friends.

[panhandle_pony]

Blvd_stang - you are 100% correct in your assessments and proposed remedy - IMO

[DiamondM75]

Blvd_stang,

Bringing in music groups is not going to increase attendance, unless it is someone like the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, etc. People are not going to go to a football game to hear a musician at halftime. They might show up for halftime and then leave. NOT WHAT WE WANT or NEED!

We need to get the City of Dallas and DART on the bandwagon. Run advertisements during sports broadcasts on TV and radio. Game tickets to SMU will provide free DART rides on game day. You can catch DART at any station, get off at Mockingbird station and take a shuttle to the game. Come early and enjoy the boulevard! Have more entertainment on the boulevard, but not loud rock groups, they are too distracting to people who want to visit and watch other games on TV. I am not sure what type of entertainment to provide, but there has to be something. Put on our thinking caps and come up with ideas for entertainment.

My thoughts are more family events like face painting, balloon animals, free cotton candy, free hot dogs and free popcorn, etc. Put up stands on the boulevard and invite everyone. These could even be sponsored by corporations and campus organizations. Too much of the boulevard is alumni friendly and not targeting the casual fan.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

FEAR AND DOOM...

WHEN CHAD MORRIS LEFT... FEAR AND DOOM

WHEN WE HIRED SONNNY DYKES... FEAR AND DOOM

IF SONNY LEAVES... FEAR AND DOOM

It would have been nice to win a non-P5 conference title in the middle of all the FEAR AND DOOM.

But we haven't won a conference title in football in how many years?

[Bergermeister]

We're not going to fill our stadium with Mustang fans. It can be at capacity with opponents like Tech, Baylor and TCU. In the past we have hosted Arkansas (Cotton Bowl), A&M (ticket price blunder with empty temporary bleachers) and Oklahoma State. People aren't enthused about directional Florida schools, Memphis, East Carolina, or Nevada, San Jose State, etc. Can't complain about attendance when ACU and Southwest Texas State and the Lumberjacks come to town.

[ponyboy]

Bingo.