END GAME

[BRStang]

SMU, you're dead to me. Cancelled all plans to attend any games this year, including Sam F'n Houston State Junior College. FU Bennett!

Hopefully, Orsini will resurrect you some day. And perhaps Bennett will finally realize his true calling in life is to sell refrigerators at Sears.

I feel like I just got pi$$ed on by a homeless man.

[mustangfan01]

If I could, I would hand you a nice warm cup of bleach right now.

[McClown27]

SMU, you're dead to me. Cancelled all plans to attend any games this year, including Sam F'n Houston State Junior College. FU Bennett!

Me too.

[BRStang]

I would probably drink it. Speaking of bleach, has anyone seen Bennett handing out burgers and/or Cheer?

[BrianTinBigD]

Good thing I have not sent in my Mustang Club dues just yet. Was looking to pay them yesterday but I forget to bring the bill to work with me. Now it is looking like a really good decision since I figure they owe me $60 for the game tonight.

[BRStang]

Seriously, why should we continue to donate and support this team. Really? Could there be a more perfect nail for this coffin? An NTSU loss? This was the season that PB guaranteed a bowl game! What possibly could come from next year? (And yes, this season is over. I don't care what anyone might say to that or even if SMU wins 10 straight. An NTSU loss is rock bottom.)

It's going to take a long time to wash away the stink that's been cast upon program after this loss. Hell, I've taken 3 showers and still cant wash away the smell from last night.

[mustangfan01]

How can you continue to support this *team*? Talk about being p*ss*d on by a homeless man...

It takes a real man to p*ss on 100 players. Kudos to you sir.

[BRStang]

'01, huh? Well, buddy, I've been a diehard SMU fan since at least before you graduated elementary school, which isn't half as long as many of the people on this board. This is the first time I can truly remember that NO ONE has at least tried to defend the team, the coach, or anyone affiliated with this ridiculous program. You know why? Because there is no excuse for this loss. And, while I wasn't necessarily referring to the "players" so much as I was, in general, SMU Football, allow me to elaborate:

Don't get me wrong, I blame Bennett & Co. for the majority of problems with the team. But, the players are the ones who are executing. So, they share in the blame. I do believe we have superior talent than NTSU, but how the hell do you explain the lack of execution? Failure of the coaches to motivate, prepare and instill confidence? OK. Poor play calling? OK. But that doesn't explain all the things discussed about ACTUAL PLAY EXECUTION.

Call me when you've been eating this crap sandwich for another 10-15 years...when you get used to having every weekend from September through November ruined because you had just a little too much hope in the "team" that week. SMU Football is a joke, and I'm sorry for that. And to everyone who is not connected to SMU, all of US are jokes. I was willing to keep living with that on the promise that things were looking up. But they are not, and I can't anymore. Until SMU realizes that football is played to WIN, and WIN ALONE, I can't keep investing myself in this program. Why don't you read StangEsq.'s post for a little more insight if you need it.

[Rayburn]

Well, it's better that you stop straddling the fence and go jump on the LSU wagon. The Bayou Bengals are hot right now and when they cool off you can come back to the Mustangs whom, I hope, might have picked up some steam by then.

[mrydel]

Why don't you look at the history of Northwestern. Longest losing streak in the history of college football and they were selling out their games, and fortunately for them turned it around. You can quit going to the games if you wish. I will say the fact you attend from Baton R. is to be commended. But just quitting being a fan of SMU is a concept I have trouble comprehending. I am an SMU fan. Good, bad, win, lose. How do you quit as a fan if you ever were one. Hate the coach(es), even hate the players if you must, but how do you "resign" from your school. Trust me, you can tell everyone you wish that you have quit as a fan of SMU. Do you think the laughing wll stop? If they know you are an alumnus, they will still laugh and ridicule as always. You might as well accept that. I put this loss as one of the most devastating to our program as ever. This was the first step in a turn around that has been waited on for years. Now we have taken many steps backwards and the decline is gaining momentum, but quitting as a fan, not attending the games and all of this other reaction to a situation beyond our control is not the answer. The answer is better players and better coaches. Lets hope the new folks in charge are capsble of doing something. Paper bags and sitting at home will not accomplish anything.

[BRStang]

mrydel, you are right in a lot of ways. The inescapable reality, though, is that it truly ruins my weekends, year after year. And I understand jt's philosophy, but I don't think it fits my personality.

I think back to my first boss at my first law firm I practiced at in Dallas. At one time, he was a big Tech fan, but explained to me that one day he had to just stop even following Tech football. He used to say--"I have enough stress in my life. Weekends are a time to relax and enjoy your family and life away from work. Investing your emotions in something that perpetually lets you down is not healthy." I used to argue with him and say, "But its your school; you can't give up on them." After so many years of this, I am forced to realize that he wins the debate. You can't get upset if you don't know your team is playing or whether they won or lost. EDIT: By the way, there are many, many, many people who have already bought this philosophy and will never be back.

Now, I'm sure, being the glutton for punishment that I am, that I will be back once I calm down. Hell, I may even be at the frickin' Sam Houston State Monument game. One things for sure, my weekend has been ruined and Monday will be rough.

[BRStang]

Well, it's better that you stop straddling the fence and go jump on the LSU wagon. The Bayou Bengals are hot right now and when they cool off you can come back to the Mustangs whom, I hope, might have picked up some steam by then.

I'm not on the fence, buddy. Both SMU and LSU are my teams. In fact, I was watching LSU bury Arizona last night while I was getting text message updates on the SMU game. Fortunately, LSU and SMU never play each other. If they did, however, I've always told everyone that I'd be pulling for SMU.

[Dopey Doowrong]

Why don't you look at the history of Northwestern. Longest losing streak in the history of college football and they were selling out their games, and fortunately for them turned it around. You can quit going to the games if you wish. I will say the fact you attend from Baton R. is to be commended. But just quitting being a fan of SMU is a concept I have trouble comprehending. I am an SMU fan. Good, bad, win, lose. How do you quit as a fan if you ever were one. Hate the coach(es), even hate the players if you must, but how do you "resign" from your school. Trust me, you can tell everyone you wish that you have quit as a fan of SMU. Do you think the laughing wll stop? If they know you are an alumnus, they will still laugh and ridicule as always. You might as well accept that. I put this loss as one of the most devastating to our program as ever. This was the first step in a turn around that has been waited on for years. Now we have taken many steps backwards and the decline is gaining momentum, but quitting as a fan, not attending the games and all of this other reaction to a situation beyond our control is not the answer. The answer is better players and better coaches. Lets hope the new folks in charge are capsble of doing something. Paper bags and sitting at home will not accomplish anything.

MRYDEL has it!! It's all YOUR FAULT, SMU fans!! Don't you get it???? BUY MORE TICKETS! Bring your gardeners, maids, nannies, chaufeurs, ANYONE YOU CAN FIND and FILL THE STANDS!!!! I'm sure your new LOVERBOY Orsini will gladly agree that THAT is the key to winning. Don't blame Bennett, the team, the AD--its YOUR FAULT!!!

[jtstang]

I'm not on the fence, buddy. Both SMU and LSU are my teams.

Not anymore, you just quit SMU.

[Charleston Pony]

actually, the position we are in is VERY MUCH SMU FANS' FAULT...or should I say SMU's lack of fans? Why do you think we were left behind in the conference realignment game? SMU, even when we were paying players better than UT and A$M and had a top 10 caliber team...did not support the program well. There was no way SMU was going to sustain the success we enjoyed in the 80's. Ask the guys who played those years. We've always relied on UT, A&M, Ark, etc... to bring the crowd. That, more than anything else, is why SMU got left behind and is now an afterthought in the landscape of college football. BYU is probably the only non-BCS program that can sell 60,000/10,000 tickets for fball/bball games that has not been invited to eat with the big dogs. It's all about the $$$ these days in college athletics.

We are all hurt right now because we had increased expectations coming off last year's finish. But...anyone with any intelligence and objectivity will acknowledge that Stallion is right. Our roster is not filled with enough talent that we can expect to go the the home of a very competitive SunBelt team and expect to win.

What's it going to take to change things? Well, as we have all heard 1,000 times now, we have to be able to recruit players from the same pool as our competition. But, the coaches still need to seell those kids on SMU and it certainly wouldn't hurt if we could put 30,000 in Ford and 7500 in Moody even for games against SHSU and Paul Quinn to show recruits SMU (and it's fans) really care and support the programs. SMU is viewed by many as a school for spoiled litle rich kids and when we lose and then leave 75-80% of the seats in Ford and Moody empty on game day, it simply reinforces that view and probably turns a lot of recruits off.