Media Attention Lands USC Mayo

[McClown27]

From espn.com

Multiple sources said that Mayo wanted to be in a major media market and that he told the USC staff he didn't want to be just another name at a school like Duke or North Carolina. He wanted to win big, go to the NBA and already have been marketed in a media center. Sources also said that Mayo was very aware of the attention USC's back-to-back Heisman winners, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, received the past two seasons.

It is funny that some of you have turned to blaming the posts of JTstang & Stallion for recruiting. When, in fact, it is obvious that the blame should squarely be aimed at the DMN. Top recruits clearly care about the amount of media attention they will get. Forget the practice facility, someone like Arthur may be at the Hilltop if he thought he might get some headlines.

[Stallion]

Look McClown SMU not the DMN is the one that decided to deemphasize football by playing with minor league, Ivy League standards while remaining in a BCS type conference at the time. SMU not the DMN decided to play its games at a Texas High School Class 2A stadium rather than other quality venues. SMU marginalized itself not the DMN. SMU under Pye got everything it deserved-one of the bottom 5% performing programs in America. These decisions were made a long time ago while 98% of the Mustang Clubbers sat on their [deleted] and sang Varsity. It is asinine to blame SMU's ineptitude on the DMN.

[SMUguy]

Look McClown SMU not the DMN is the one that decided to deemphasize football ....

I don't always agree with you, Stallion, but you're dead-on there. I don't know why we should be shocked that an 18-year-old who grew up being told he's going to be a star actually wants to play under the bright lights of L.A. There are LOTS of people who would make that decision, and it's not like USC is a bad school, if he chooses to be a student, too.

.... It is asinine to blame SMU's ineptitude on the DMN.

Of course it is. But as we both know, some things get said here simply for the sake of saying something, and for the purpose of entertaining the person who wrote it.

Thankfully, the days of ineptitude are over, anyway.

[EastStang]

In 1988 we were on the cusp of being as well known as USC. If we had taken our medicine and not shot ourselves in the foot. Stallion is right. We did this to ourselves. Now we have to re-earn the right to be covered by the media. That can only come through wins on the field. We are in a decent basketball conference with Memphis, UH, UTEP, Tulsa as present and former marquee programs. If we can get better in basketball, we could start seeing some good press. If we can get better in football, we will need to make a lot of noise to get noticed. We will need to start beating the Techs, Baylors and TCUs of the world on a regular basis. And if we start to do that, mark my words they will all drop us from their schedules. And then we'll be back to playing Division 1-AA teams from Rearscratch, NM and lack media coverage again.

[McClown27]

Look McClown SMU not the DMN is the one that decided to deemphasize football by playing with minor league, Ivy League standards while remaining in a BCS type conference at the time. SMU not the DMN decided to play its games at a Texas High School Class 2A stadium rather than other quality venues. SMU marginalized itself not the DMN. SMU under Pye got everything it deserved-one of the bottom 5% performing programs in America. These decisions were made a long time ago while 98% of the Mustang Clubbers sat on their [deleted] and sang Varsity. It is asinine to blame SMU's ineptitude on the DMN.

Setting up a straw man is always easy to knockdown. First, you know that I place most of the blame on the ineptitude of SMU on our administration. Second, you also know that I am a critic of Ford and the facility boosters.

Instead of making dozens of posts pointing the finger solely at SMU, I think we also have to look at the external factors contributing to the programs failures. Clearly, the biggest external factor contributing to SMU's demise has been a lack of support from the Dallas community. It certainly does not help SMU that we are located in the one area of Dallas that does not want football revenue or certain types of people coming into the area. Along with this substantial Park Cities disadvantage, we also have begun to live in a world where the media has become important. We cannot ask high-caliber Dallas recruits to come to our program when our games are not covered by the LOCAL MEDIA. Recruits now care about media coverage as much as they care about the coach. Things have changed since the late 1970's. It is rather strange that the local media does not want the best local players to stay in the area, but I would guess that has to do with the perception of Park Cities elitism. For instance, the local media in NYC begs the best high school basketball players to stay in the city and criticizes them when they go elsewhere.

[jtstang]

Instead of making dozens of posts pointing the finger solely at SMU, I think we also have to look at the external factors contributing to the programs failures.

That's easy. There aren't any.

[Stallion]

McClown you set up the straw man not me by comparing a recruit going to school at USC (one of the best examples of a quality overachieving private school in a major metropolitan community) with SMU (one of the best examples of an underachieving historically nose-diving private school in a metropolitan community). As we keep telling you respect and attention is not a right it must be earned. When SMU does ANYTHING to earn respect and attention and comparisons to USC-then you have a right to bitch-not now.

[Sewanee Stang]

Give me Ham on five. Hold the Mayo.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Setting up a straw man is always easy to knockdown. First, you know that I place most of the blame on the ineptitude of SMU on our administration. Second, you also know that I am a critic of Ford and the facility boosters.

Instead of making dozens of posts pointing the finger solely at SMU, I think we also have to look at the external factors contributing to the programs failures. Clearly, the biggest external factor contributing to SMU's demise has been a lack of support from the Dallas community.

Hard to get support from a community that you've all but shut your self off from.

[McClown27]

McClown you set up the straw man not me by comparing a recruit going to school at USC (one of the best examples of a quality overachieving private school in a major metropolitan community) with SMU (one of the best examples of an underachieving historically nose-diving private school in a metropolitan community). As we keep telling you respect and attention is not a right it must be earned. When SMU does ANYTHING to earn respect and attention and comparisons to USC-then you have a right to bitch-not now.

Since when is USC's basketball program overachieving?

[jtstang]

Since when is USC's basketball program overachieving?

They've made multiple NCAA tournament appearances since SMU made its last one, what, 13 years ago? I'm thinking that helps their coverage.

[McClown27]

They did have Harold Miner. He was so sweet.

[Terry Webster]

Mayo and his possible decision to go to USC has little to do with USC. It has everything to do with his AAU coach. Mayo has been living with his coach ever since he moved to Cincinnati and will go where his coach tells him to go. It has more to do with whatever media attention his coach can get, rather than what AJ will get. Living in the Cinci area the past 6 years I have seen him grow from a terrific basketball player to someone controlled by the coach. Personally though, I wouldn't be surprised if he and Bill Walker both spurn the west coast and end up at Kansas State (huge media outlet) for a year before going pro.

[jtstang]

Living in the Cinci area the past 6 years I have seen him grow from a terrific basketball player to someone controlled by the coach.

Is his coach named "Jazzy" too?

[MustangMan]

They did have Harold Miner. He was so sweet.

He could dunk, but that's all he could do. He was not a player.